[News] To evade own crimes, 'Israel' blocks UN Oct. 7 sexual assault probe

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/to-evade-own-crimes---israel--blocks-un-oct--7-sexual-assaul>
To evade own crimes, 'Israel' blocks UN Oct. 7 sexual assault probe
Al Mayadeen English
January 8, 2025
------------------------------

Israeli occupation forces are denying a UN request to investigate October 7
sexual assault allegations out of fear that it could open the door to an
inquiry into the abuse of Palestinians.
[image: 8bb4f806-fed2-4ed4-a84b-dfacb2e32cac.jpg]

   - Israeli soldiers gather at the gate to the Sde Teiman military base,
   as settlers protest in support of soldiers being questioned for detainee
   abuse, on July 29, 2024 (*AP*)

The Israeli occupation has rejected a request from the United Nations to
investigate allegations of sexual violence allegedly committed by
Resistance fighters during October 7's Operation al-Aqsa Flood.

The Israeli regime is concerned that the UN probe would not only prove the
claims as false but would also make way for proving the allegations of
sexual violence perpetrated against Palestinians in Israeli detention
facilities. These claims have been corroborated by the release of footage
showing a group of Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian
detainee in the Sde Teman
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sde-teiman-chaos-depicts-disintegration-of-iof-chain-of-comm>
detention camp.

Pramila Patten, the UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in
Conflict, had sought authorization to investigate claims against Hamas.
However, she emphasized that any investigation would also need to
address allegations
involving Israeli soldiers
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/schism-in--israel---detained-soldiers-accused-of-rape-called>.
The Israeli occupation declined this condition, according to a report by
*Haaretz*.

Patten has urged the Israeli regime to sign a framework agreement with the
UN to implement measures addressing sexual violence in conflict. Despite
the refusal, her office has announced plans to explore a future mission to
the region.
Israeli sexual assault of Palestinian detainees

“The Office is exploring a future mission to the region after receiving an
invitation from the Palestinian Authority regarding reports of
conflict-related sexual violence against Palestinians as well as outreach
by the Government of Israel for a follow-up visit on the 7 October attacks
and their aftermath,” Patten's office stated.

However, her team warned Israeli representatives that their refusal to
allow investigations into reported crimes attributed to Israeli personnel
could have serious consequences. During a meeting with Israel's Women’s
Network in New York, they noted that this stance might result in the
occupation being added to the UN’s blacklist of entities responsible for sexual
violence
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/torture-in-israeli-prisons--strapped-to-beds--stripped-of-cl>
in conflict—potentially leaving Hamas off the list.

This development follows statements from Israeli authorities that no
allegations of rape or sexual assault had been filed in connection with the
events of October 7. Moran Gaz, a former lead prosecutor in the Israeli
Southern District and a member of Team 7.10, revealed in an interview for *Ynet
*that extensive investigations had found no basis for such claims.

The controversy echoes similar incidents from March 2023 when UN experts
discredited allegations of sexual violence by Resistance fighters, deeming
them unverified or outright false. Other widely circulated claims of
atrocities, including reports of babies being beheaded or burned, were also
debunked but continued to be used as fuel to the fire of anti-Palestinian
sentiment.

*Read next: Israeli prosecutor confirms no rape charges from Oct.7
operation filed
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-prosecutor-confirms-no-rape-charges-from-oct-7-opera>*
UN urges for a probe into Israeli violations

The United Nations called in August for a comprehensive investigation into
human rights abuses against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons
following leaked footage of Israeli occupation forces (IOF)
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/leaked-video-shows-israelis-sexually-assaulting-palestinian>
 sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner from Gaza at the notorious Israeli
concentration camp Sde Teiman.

Farhan Haq, the UN deputy spokesperson, emphasized the need for a detailed
probe into reports of systemic torture and degrading treatment of
Palestinian detainees by Israeli authorities.

This call for investigation follows a report from the Israeli human rights
organization B'Tselem, which revealed troubling testimonies from 55 former
Palestinian detainees. The report described "inhuman conditions" and
detailed that over a dozen Israeli prison facilities are functioning as "de
facto torture camps."

The UN official emphasized during a press conference that the UN's call for
an investigation was in response to the B'Tselem report, stating that "all
of these allegations of violations of basic human rights norms must be
thoroughly investigated, and there should be accountability."

“We also believe that whenever human rights norms are violated to this
extent, there needs to be follow-up. Our human rights colleagues dealing
with Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory will continue to follow
up on all of these allegations,” Haq stressed.

Israeli *Channel 12* broadcast surveillance footage of a squad
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/leaked-sde-teiman-video-proves-iof-have-documented-crime-arc>
 of IOF selecting a detainee from among more than 30 others who are all
blindfolded and lying on the ground. The inmate is then led to a corner.

According to the report, "It is clear that they know about the surveillance
cameras, and try to hide their act with shields. The video contains
documentation of the felony of the reservists: the act of sodomy in these
circumstances."

The inmate then bled and was transferred to the hospital some hours later,
with his condition described as "complex". "The injury was caused by the
insertion of an object," the station stated, citing a medical report.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20250108/b8a954ab/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 8bb4f806-fed2-4ed4-a84b-dfacb2e32cac.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 217363 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20250108/b8a954ab/attachment-0001.jpg>