UN Women condemned Hamas’ mass rape of Israeli civilians in a statement released Saturday, 56 days after the terrorist organization conducted their attacks.
UN Women, a department in the United Nations that describes itself as a “global champion for gender equality,” said in its statement that “we unequivocally condemn the brutal attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October” and that it was “alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks.” The agency has been criticized for taking more than eight weeks to address the attacks.
“The conduct of UN Women, as well as the UN Secretary-General and other UN agencies, since the October 7 massacre, is disgraceful,” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen tweeted. “UN Women’s message is weak and late when it comes after almost two months of silence and ignoring the war crimes, crimes against humanity, and sexual crimes committed by the terrorist organization, Hamas.”
Cohen called for the head of UN Women to resign.
Instead of condemning Hamas’ rapes, UN Women since the attacks has posted about climate change, the pay gap and about how “trans lesbians are lesbians too.”
UN Women told the Daily Caller News Foundation that it “unequivocally condemns the abhorrent attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7 and has been closely following reports of brutal acts of gender-based violence against women in Israel since they first came to light.”
“Within days of the horrific attacks, UN Women began offering concrete support to the UN Commission of Inquiry which is investigating these matters,” UN Womens’ statement continued. “We believe a full investigation is essential, so that perpetrators at all sides can be held accountable and justice can be served.”
“We recognize that UN procedures can appear to be slow-moving,” the statement reads.
“This is particularly true for public statements on conflict-related sexual violence, which require thorough investigation by the Commission of Inquiry (COI). This approach has been a standard practice in handling most past conflicts as well.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the attacks for the first time on Thursday, saying that “there are numerous accounts of sexual violence during the abhorrent acts of terror by Hamas on 7 October that must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.” (RELATED: Relative Claims Hamas Branded Israeli Hostages And Drugged Them)
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called on Guterres to attend an Israeli event next week showing proof of Hamas’ rapes and to “unequivocally condemn Hamas for committing these shocking crimes,” the Times of Israel reported.
Israeli Police Superintendent Dudi Katz says his officers have more than 60,000 video clips, alongside more than 1,000 statements, attesting to rapes committed by members of Hamas, according to CNN.
Palestinian members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, take part in a gathering on January 31, 2016 in Gaza city to pay tribute to their fellow militants who died after a tunnel collapsed in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
Survivors of Hamas’ attacks have recounted chilling stories of Hamas’ rapes.
“These are two girls that were just killed, executed, perhaps raped in their own bedroom,” one combat medic told CNN, describing the aftermath of a home invasion conducted by members of Hamas.
One survivor of the attack on the Supernova music festival said she saw a woman being gang raped and then shot in the head on Oct. 7, The Times of London reported. She also said Hamas terrorists beheaded a woman with a shovel after attempting to rape her.
“The torture of women was weaponized in the destruction of communities, in sowing general horror and in breaking the spirit of the Israelis,” Cochav Elkayam Levy, a professor at Reichman University, told Haaretz.
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