Finding that some hostages were victims of sexual violence doesn’t justify Israeli attacks

[Pelican Press 0]

Finding that some hostages were victims of ******* ********* doesn’t justify ******** attacks

******* NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. envoy focusing on ******* ********* in conflict warned ******* on Monday that the finding of “clear and convincing information” that some hostages taken by ****** during its Oct. 7 ******* in southern ******* were subjected to ******* ********* “does not in any way legitimize further hostilities.”

“In fact, it creates a moral imperative for a humanitarian cease-***** to end the unspeakable suffering imposed on ************ civilians in Gaza and bring about the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Pramila Patten told the U.N. Security Council where *******’s foreign minister was also sitting and listening.

“Continuation of hostilities can, in no way, protect them,” she said. “It can only expose them to further risk of *********, including ******* *********.”

Patten was speaking at a council meeting sought by ******* and called by the ******* States, ******* Kingdom and France to focus on her recent report, which also found “reasonable grounds” to believe ****** committed *****, sexualized ********, and other cruel and inhumane acts against women during the Oct. 7 ******* that ******* about 1,200 people and led to 250 others being taken ********.

She told the council that the 134 hostages still in captivity and the more than 2 million civilians in Gaza “share a common fate. For their common sake, there must be a humanitarian cease-***** now.” *******’s ongoing

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has ******* over 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

*******’s Foreign Minister ******* Katz said he came to the council “to protest as loud as I can against the ******* against humanity” committed by ****** in order to deter and scare ******** society.

He strongly criticized the Security Council’s ******** in over 40 meetings since Oct. 7 to condemn ******’ actions, saying the U.N.’s most powerful body should declare the extremist group a ********** organization and pressure it to immediately release the hostages.

In a statement that surprised some diplomats, Katz noted that Monday was the start of the

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and said: “Let me take this opportunity to bless our ******* brothers: Ramadan Kareem.” That means have a blessed or generous Ramadan.

“****** is not speaking on behalf of the ******* world,” Katz said, “and we are asking you to condemn the ******* ********* ******* that these barbarians committed in the name of the ******* religion.”

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, the ************ U.N. ambassador, told the council that Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan but “in Gaza, ****** and suffering can be found everywhere. Food and hope can be found nowhere.”

He told the council that *******’s Prime Minister Benjamin

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because his “political survival requires for the onslaught to continue.”

*******’s objective, Mansour said, “******** the forcible displacement of our people by making Gaza unlivable.”

He expressed hope that the Security Council, which showed an “unprecedented” reaction to Patten’s report by convening a meeting within a week, would respond equally to reports of ******* ******** against ************ women and ******, men and boys.

Patten’s key recommendation is to encourage ******* to grant access to the

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and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the ************ territories and ******* “to carry out full-fledged investigations into the alleged violations” by ******.

Mansour said the Palestinians would welcome these investigations and challenged ******* “to make a similar declaration of welcome.” He also invited Patten to visit Gaza and see for herself the plight of Palestinians.

Patten told the council that when she visited the West Bank she didn’t receive any reports of *****, but instances of ******* ********* during the detention of both ************ men and women were raised.

These included invasive body searches, unwanted touching of intimate areas, beatings in the ******** areas, threats to men of ***** against their women family members, “and inappropriate strip searches and prolonged forced nudity of detainees,” she said.

Patten said she raised these reports with ******** authorities, who provided her with information on their protocols to prevent such acts and “indicated willingness to investigate any alleged breaches.”

She expressed disappointment “that the immediate reaction to my report by some political actors was not to open inquiries into those alleged incidents, but rather to ******* them outright via social media.” She did not name any of these “political actors.”

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Pramila Patten,*******,******* *********,******* Katz,southern *******,Gaza,******,humanitarian cease-*****,************ civilians,Gaza Health Ministry,******* NATIONS,Riyad Mansour,************ women
#Finding #hostages #victims #******* #********* #doesnt #justify #******** #attacks

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