Nova Festival was one of the venues for the October 7 sexual assault allegations.
A UN team has concluded that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, took place during the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.
He also said there was “compelling information” that the hostages had been sexually assaulted.
The visit was led by Pramila Patten, the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Hamas denies that its militants sexually assaulted women during the attack.
“The mission found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred in multiple locations during the October 7 attacks,” the UN report said.
The attacks reportedly occurred in at least three locations: in and around the Nova Music Festival venue, on Road 232, and at Kibbutz Rem.
Hamas militants invaded southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages.
Israel responded by launching a military operation in Gaza, during which 30,500 people were killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Reports of sexual violence by Hamas, which is banned as a terrorist organization by Israel, Britain and others, began appearing shortly after October 7 and have steadily accumulated since then.
Warning: Contains graphic depictions of rape and sexual violence
In its report, the United Nations found “clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexual torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, is being perpetrated against hostages.” said.
It also said there were “reasonable grounds to believe that this type of violence may continue against people currently incarcerated.”
The UN team visited Israel from January 29th to February 14th.
The mission, made up of Patten and nine experts, is not inherently an investigation but is aimed at gathering and verifying allegations, the United Nations said.
It added that 33 meetings were held with Israeli representatives and more than 5,000 photographic images and 50 hours of video footage were examined.
The report said the team was unable to interview any of the victims “despite concerted efforts to encourage them” to come forward.
The report described some allegations of rape and sexual violence as “unfounded”, including a graphically reported case of a pregnant woman whose uterus was reportedly torn open and her fetus stabbed. The United Nations said other reports could not be verified due to limited images.
It also said it could not establish a discernible pattern of genital mutilation.
The UN report also cited reports of sexual violence against Palestinians in Israeli custody, including “unwanted touching of intimate areas” and “prolonged forced nudity.” The report stated that while there were no reported cases of rape against Palestinians, conservative cultural norms may have discouraged reporting sexual assaults.
“Israel welcomes the final recognition that Hamas committed a sexual crime,” Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lior Hyat said in response to the report's publication.
He added that Israel is now “calling for an immediate meeting.” [UN] The Security Council aims to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization and impose international sanctions. ”
However, Mr Hyat rejected the UN team's report that it had also received information about sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in detention conditions, during house searches and at checkpoints since October 7.
“This is a mockery aimed at creating an intolerable equivalence between the horrific crimes committed and continuing to be committed by Hamas and the malicious and unsubstantiated claims made against Israel and Israelis. This is a deliberate and deliberate Palestinian move.”
Hyat also said Israel opposed the report's recommendation to cooperate with the United Nations' International Commission of Inquiry, which is conducting an investigation into possible war crimes on all sides.
He accused the investigation of being hostile to Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday recalled the country's ambassador to the United Nations for “consultations” and accused the organization of “attempting to silence a serious United Nations report on mass rape.” .
He criticized UN Secretary-General António Guterres for not convening the Security Council to discuss the findings and declare Hamas a terrorist organization.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres “fully supported” Patten's work on the trip to Israel.
“In no way did the Secretary-General do anything to 'silence' the report. In fact, this report is scheduled to be published today,” Dujarric said.
