UN finally agrees to probe Hamas sex crimes

After 50 days of refusing to acknowledge rapes of Israeli women and girls, United Nations agrees to investigation.

By Susan Tawil, World Israel News

Over 50 days after the October 7th Hamas massacre of Israeli towns bordering Gaza, the United Nations has agreed to investigate the rape and sexual abuse perpetrated by the invading terrorists on Israeli women and girls.

After nearly two months of silence, despite urgent requests by Israel, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said Wednesday that the incidents of sexual violence “must be vigorously investigated.”

Guterres’ statement was criticized strongly by Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, who questioned why proven cases sexual violation should still need to be “investigated.”

Erdan noted the hypocrisy: “Surprisingly, when it comes to the claims of Hamas and the ‘Gaza Ministry of Health’ against Israel regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, for him there is no doubt and no need for ‘investigations.’”

David Katz, who works at the Israel Police’s criminal investigation division, said the police have witness testimony, video evidence, and photographs of victims’ bodies attesting to sexual assault. Israeli officials, first responders, and morgue workers also substantiate the rapes by Hamas jihadists during the Oct 7 attack.

Israel’s intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, has videotaped Palestinian terrorists affirming Hamas orders for them to rape Israeli women.

Ambassador Erdan said that Israel would present such evidence to the UN next week of the sex crimes committed by Hamas. Erdan demanded that the UN “unequivocally condemn Hamas for committing these shocking crimes, and act to open an investigation against Hamas.”

Bar-Ilan University associate professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, addressed the matter at a UN event in Geneva this week.

She accused the UN and other human rights organizations of downplaying and minimizing the heinous crimes in order to perpetuate the view of Israel as the “aggressor” in its retaliatory actions in Gaza against Hamas Palestinian terrorists.

Speaking of the atrocities committed by Hamas, Halperin-Kaddari related that the rapes and sexual violence “were a systematic part of their attack…We expected a clear and loud statement that says that there is no justification for using the bodies of women as a weapon of war.”

The professor said she was “deeply concerned because of the complete lack of acknowledgment, of recognition by United Nations bodies and entities and by the international human rights world…that indeed Hamas committed horrific sexual crimes against women, against women and girls, on Oct. 7 in Israel.”

Jewish women activists have called for unequivocal condemnation of the sex crimes committed during Hamas’ attack, and have slammed what they say is a double standard against Israeli women.

Sheryl Sandberg, the former Chief Operating Officer of Meta (Facebook), criticized Women’s groups and Human Rights organizations for their silence on the matter. With fellow entrepreneurs Danielle Ofek and Nataly Livski, Sandberg created a campaign and petition called “Me Too UNless Ur a Jew.”

They have thus far collected a quarter-million signatures criticizing UN Women for not speaking out against the Hamas abuse of female Israelis.

Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council for Jewish Women, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: “…organizations that have long spoken out against sexual assault and against war crimes seem to have been comfortable being silent as this happened to Israeli women.”

“We shouldn’t have to convince people who claim to be our friends and allies that raping Israelis is wrong,” Katz continued. “Using rape as a tool of war is something that we should all agree is bad…The fact that the United Nations and UN Women haven’t been able to say that is egregious.”

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