Hamas 'deliberately shot women in the genitals' during massacre

The United Nations faces criticism for failing to condemn allegations of sexual violence Photo: DEDI HAYUN/REUTERS

Hamas deliberately shot dead women in their genitals, the United Nations has heard, amid growing anger over the silence surrounding sexual violence during the Oct. 7 massacre.

Shari Mendes, a member of the Israeli military unit that prepared the bodies of female soldiers for burial, said her team saw comrades “who had been shot in the crotch, private parts, vagina or chest.”

Another speaker, Simcha Grainman, said one woman had “nails” on her body. and various objects in her female organs.”

About 800 protesters accusing the UN of double standards when it comes to sexual violence gathered outside the organization's headquarters in New York as testimony was heard.

Some chanted: “Me too, unless you Jew. » A reference to the feminist movement against sexual harassment and abuse of women.

Sheryl Sandberg, the former chief operating officer of Meta who helped organize the event, accused the UN of ignoring the rape and mutilation of women on October 7th. “Silence is complicity,” she said.

This comes after the US said a deal to release the hostages was scrapped because Hamas did not want to allow the captured women to talk about their experiences of sexual violence.

Matthew Miller, a US State Department spokesman, said: “It appears that one of the reasons they don't want to hand over the women they've been holding hostage, and the reason this pause has broken down, is because they don't want these the women were hostages.” women to be able to tell what happened to them while they were in custody.”

In total, 110 of the approximately 240 hostages abducted by Hamas or its affiliates were released as part of the temporary ceasefire, 78 of which are Israeli women and children.

On Tuesday, an Israeli health official told the Knesset that the hostages were drugged before being handed over to the Red Cross for release.

Professor Ronid Endevelt, head of the health ministry's nutrition department, said the terrorists forced their captives to swallow tranquilizers such as Klonex. as well as vitamins “to make them look happy.”

The UN faces increasing difficulties. criticism for lack of strong condemnation of sexual violence committed by Hamas.

António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said sexual crimes must be “thoroughly investigated and prosecuted” in a statement issued no earlier than November 29. .

UN Women stands out in particular for its silence on this issue, while it regularly speaks out about the plight of Palestinian women and girls.

Meni Binyamin, head of the Israeli police's international crimes unit, said in an interview that on October 7 he documented “cases of brutal rape, the most extreme sexual abuses we have ever seen.” “I'm talking about dozens.”

He said the victims included several men. sexual assault.

Among the evidence investigators found were the bodies of partially or fully naked women, women with broken pelvic bones, and video footage taken by Hamas militants themselves.

There are also a small number of first-hand witnesses. , including a woman who told police she saw Hamas terrorists take turns raping a young woman they grabbed at the Nova music festival.

In a video released by police last month, she said they mutilated the woman before shooting her in the head.

Speaking at the UN on Monday, Yael Richert, an Israeli police superintendent, presented video of witnesses. One of the paramedic’s statements said: “The shooting was in the genitals. We have seen this many times.”

Ms. Sandberg said: “On October 7, Hamas brutally killed 1,200 souls, and in some cases they raped their victims first.”

&#39 ;'We know it from eyewitnesses, we know it from combat medics, we would know it from some of the victims if more people had been allowed to survive.”

Hamas denies its fighters committed sexual crimes. The terrorist group said such activities would violate the principles of Islam.