U.N. envoy: Sexual violence doesn’t justify Israeli attacks
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. envoy focusing on sexual violence in conflict warned Israel on Monday that the finding of “clear and convincing information” that some hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel were subjected to sexual violence “does not in any way legitimize further hostilities.”
“In fact, it creates a moral imperative for a human- itarian cease-fire to end the unspeakable suffering imposed on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and bring about the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Pramila Pat- ten told the U.N. Security Council where Israel’s for- eign minister was also sit- ting and listening.
“Continuation of hostili- ties can, in no way, protect them,” she said. “It can only expose them to further risk of violence, including sex- ual violence.”
Patten was speaking at a council meeting sought by Israel and called by the United States, United King- dom and France to focus on her recent report, which also found “reasonable grounds” to believe Hamas committed rape, sexualized torture, and other cruel and inhumane acts against women during the Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people and led to 250 others being taken hostage.
She told the council that the 134 hostages still in cap- tivity and the more than 2 million civilians in Gaza “share a common fate. For their common sake, there must be a human- itarian cease-fire now.”
Israel’s ongoing offensive against Hamas has killed over 30,000 people, twothirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he came to the council “to protest as loud as I can against the crimes against humanity” committed by Hamas in order to deter and scare Israeli society.
He strongly criticized the Security Council’s failure since Oct. 7 to condemn Hamas’ actions, saying the U.N.’S most powerful body should declare the extremist group a terrorist organization and pressure it to release the hostages.
In a statement that surprised some diplomats, Katz noted that Monday was the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and said: “Let me take this opportunity to bless our Muslim brothers: Ramadan Kareem.” That means have a blessed Ramadan.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, told the council that Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan but “in Gaza, death and suffering can be found everywhere. Food and hope can be found