Recordings and testimonies of some of those released showed the good treatment of prisoners by Al-Qassam members (Anatolia)

Today, Tuesday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Sexual Violence in Conflict Areas, Pramila Patten, was criticized by journalists due to a report she prepared at the request of Israel to investigate allegations of sexual violence during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” attack last October 7.

The criticism came during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters, regarding her visit with her team to Israel and the occupied West Bank in the period between January 29 and February 14, against the backdrop of her not meeting anyone who had been subjected to sexual violence and relying only on the statements of witnesses chosen by the occupation authorities. .

Patten indicated that she and her team held 33 meetings with institutions, ministry officials, and Israeli security forces, and conducted tours of military bases, morgues, and other areas linked to allegations of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks.

It stated that the team viewed 5,000 photos and about 50 hours of footage, and stated that 34 people were interviewed, including those who were attacked on October 7, witnesses and released prisoners.

"Despite our efforts, we have not met anyone who was sexually assaulted on October 7," she said.

Not an investigation

She pointed out that the visits were not carried out under the authority of the United Nations and did not carry the status of an “investigation,” indicating that the main goal was to collect information for the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on sexual violence in conflict situations.

She listed the constraints they faced in the process of gathering information such as changes in the “crime” scene, shortages of professional forensic equipment, inaccurate and unreliable interpretations and interventions by non-specialists, obstacles to reaching victims, severe burns on bodies, and lack of trust in national and international organizations. , including the United Nations.

She added, "According to the information collected, there are justified reasons to believe that conflict-based sexual violence, such as rape and gang rape, occurred at the Nova Music Festival, Route 232 and Reim Be'eri during the October 7 attacks," stressing that the study they conducted is not an investigation, and therefore they do not have Any information regarding who committed the sexual violence.

It also stated that there are “justified reasons” to believe that acts of sexual violence have occurred against (Israeli) prisoners and that such practices against currently detained prisoners continue.

She pointed out the lack of evidence in rape cases, explaining that their research relies mostly on witness statements and indirect evidence.

She stressed that they collected information, not evidence, and emphasized the necessity of conducting a comprehensive investigation in order to uncover the circumstances of the events and verify the perpetrators.

During the conference, journalists asked Patten many questions, pointing out the shortcomings related to her reporting on allegations of sexual violence.

One of them criticized the UN official's meeting with the Israeli civilian search and rescue organization "ZAKA", which is known for its scandals, saying, "If this is not an investigation, how does your report differ from the New York Times article?" (Referring to the scandal in which the newspaper was involved after publishing a report on false allegations of using... Hamas sexual violence).

In response to a question about whether she was concerned that the report would legitimize more violence in Gaza, after implicitly referring to the continuation of sexual violence against prisoners, Patten denied this, and pointed to the necessity of reaching a ceasefire for the sake of the prisoners.

In her answer to the question, “What is the purpose of the report without clarifying all the details if it does not have the status of an investigation?” she pointed out that its goal is to contribute to the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

One of the journalists asked her a question saying, “Many rumors and false news have spread, including the beheading of infants. What measures have you taken to avoid such a thing?”, to which she replied that the technical experts in her team had conducted “independent” investigative studies.

"Persuasive" statements

A journalist asked why she did not meet released prisoners who had been treated well by Hamas. She merely said, "I think what the people I interviewed said was very convincing."

It is noteworthy that the Palestinian resistance factions, led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), launched on October 7, 2023, a surprise attack on the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip and military bases in southern Israel, during which hundreds of Israelis were killed. The movement also took dozens to the Gaza Strip to exchange them for thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Since then, Israel has launched a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to Palestinian and UN data.

Source: Anadolu Agency