UN concludes Hamas terrorists likely abused Israeli hostages

On Monday, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence Pramila Patten released a report on a 17-day visit she and other experts took to Israel and the West Bank. She and her team reviewed photos and footage of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, interviewed survivors of the attack, and visited locations affected by the attack. Hamas’ cross-border assault on Israel killed roughly 1,200 people.

What exactly did the report conclude? Patten’s office stated in the report that, based on discussions with several independent sources, “there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the October 7 attacks,” including severe cases of rape. It also concluded that it had “clear and convincing information” that hostages taken captive during the attack suffered sexual violence and abuse  at several different locations where they were held captive. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard’s conversation with Itamar Marcus on The World and Everything in It podcast about the differences between what the Palestinian Authority tells its people and what it tells the world.