Israel: UN must act over sexual violence

ISRAEL urged the UN this week to act on an independent report accusing Hamas of using sexual violence as a “genocidal” weapon of war during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

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The UN has long faced Israeli criticism for reacting too slowly to Israeli accusations of rape and sexual violence during the Palestinian Islamist movement’ attack that sparked the Gaza war.

“It took far too long for the UN to even acknowledge that such violence took place,” Israeli ambassador Daniel Meron told reporters at the UN in Geneva.

“Conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence was used against Israelis ... in a brutal and calculated way, and yet the UN has not acted.”