The UN’s decision to blacklist Hamas for sexual violence it conducted during and after the 7 October attacks is just the first step to prosecution, Dr Cochav Elkayam-Levy, founder and chair of the Civil Commission on 7 October Crimes says in a Euronews exclusive.
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Now that the United Nations officially recognised the sexual crimes committed by Hamas on and after October 7 and placed Hamas on the UN blacklist of armed groups responsible for systematic rape and sexual violence in conflict, the next logical step is prosecution, a notable Israeli expert writes in an exclusive op-ed for Euronews.
“This recognition is not only a diplomatic achievement; it is a direct rebuke to all those who tried to deny, minimise, or obscure these atrocities," explains Dr Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the founder and chair of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children.
"From now on, there can be no doubt: rape and sexual torture were, and remain, central to Hamas’ campaign of terror.”
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres' annual report from August said that his special representative “found reasonable grounds to believe that sexual violence occurred during the attacks of 7 October 2023 in multiple locations."
These acts included rape and gang rape, most notably at the Nova music festival site.
Regarding the hostages taken to Gaza, the report says that “clear and convincing information that some hostages taken to Gaza were subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence during their time in captivity".
"My Special Representative concluded that the complexity and modus operandi of the attacks demonstrated a significant level of planning, coordination and detailed prior knowledge of the targets selected," the report concluded.
'Dignity shattered in unimaginable ways'
Earlier in July the Israeli Dinah Project released its report based on survivor and witness testimonies, accounts from first responders, and forensic, visual and audio evidence.
The report said it relied on dozens of accounts, including from one survivor of attempted rape at the Nova music festival, 15 returned hostages, 17 witnesses and multiple first responders.
Citing accounts in Israeli and international media, it said 15 former hostages either experienced or witnessed some form of sexual assault, which included physical sexual violence, forced nudity, verbal sexual harassment and threats of forced marriage.
Two male hostages said they faced forced nudity and physical abuse when naked.
The report said witness accounts indicated at least 15 separate cases of sexual assault, including at least four instances of gang rape.
“But recognition, as vital as it is for healing and justice, cannot be where we stop”, says Dr Elkayam-Levy in the exclusive op-ed for Euronews.
“Behind every UN document and diplomatic statement is a woman who was raped, a man who was tortured, a family destroyed. Each acknowledgement carries the silenced voice of a victim whose dignity was shattered in unimaginable ways," Elkayam-Levy explained.
Israel is now calling for the prosecution of the entire militant group and its abettors, saying special mechanisms are needed to bring justice beyond Israel’s borders.
“Now Israel and the international community will be judged not by words, but by actions: whether they prosecute, and whether they create mechanisms for joint accountability across jurisdictions in Israel, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and beyond," Elkayam-Levy concludes.