Following weeks of silence by women’s organizations and international bodies, UN secretary-general says issue needs to be ‘vigorously investigated’; Israel’s UN envoy: ‘When it comes to Israeli women, sexual violence that has been proven and determined by state authorities still needs to be investigated’

Against the backdrop of widespread anger in Israel over the silence of women’s organizations and international bodies regarding the severe sexual violence used by Hamas terrorists against women in the attack on October 7, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced Thursday that these actions must be thoroughly investigated.

“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,” Guterres wrote on the X platform

  • kromem@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I’m assuming you aren’t aware of the UN having investigated Israeli war crimes in 2009 which was highly regarded by the Middle Eastern delegates specifically for its having investigated and reported on the war crimes of both sides of the conflict.

    You might also be unaware that the investigation was originally chartered to only look at and investigate Israeli war crimes, the very opposite of what you seem to think is the UN’s position in their investigations. As the delegate to the HRC from Lebanon put it (regarding the involvement of the lead investigator who had also been the UN’s lead prosecutor of war crimes in Yugoslavia and Rawanda):

    He rejected the first mandate of the Human Rights Council for the Fact-Finding Mission because it called for investigation of violations committed only by Israel. He did not accept that assignment until his request to expand the mandate to include all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law which were committed in the context of the military operations conducted in Gaza was granted.

    Unless the UN has changed dramatically in the past decade, they’ll definitely be investigating Israeli war crimes.

    • generalpotato@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      We’re in 2023. I assume you aren’t aware of how a decade old news isn’t relevant to the discussion anymore.

      You seem to indicate it will happen. I’m asking when?

      • kromem@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Probably like with literally every other war crimes investigation.

        After the hostilities are over so a full accounting can be made.

        • generalpotato@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          That’s convenient isn’t it? Lay seige, let nobody in and then “wait” for a war crimes investigation instead of creating channels for an independent investigation when everybody in the world was asking for one, see numerous hospital and school bombings from example. This is the same Israel that didn’t let aid into Gaza, if you have trouble recalling how generous and compliant they are.

          Ironically, war crimes investigation in an active war zone is a thing.

          https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1127691