UN report accuses Israel of committing sexual violence in Gaza

In the wake of ongoing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank, a United Nations-backed report published in early March 2024 has brought to light serious accusations against Israeli military forces. The report highlights that these forces have been engaging in sexual, reproductive, and gender-based violence against Palestinians since the escalation of violence that began with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The findings stem from the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which aimed to document and gather evidence of violations and crimes against the Palestinian population by Israeli authorities. The report details a range of violations, including allegations of rape, forced public stripping, and sexual harassment, targeting Palestinian women, men, girls, and boys. Notably, the commission noted that such actions have become standard operating procedures within Israeli forces. Additionally, claims were made regarding the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities, marking what the commission described as "genocidal acts" against the Palestinian population. Israeli authorities, however, have refuted these allegations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeling the report as anti-Israel and biased. He claimed it draws on unverified sources and represents an unfair characterization of Israel's military actions, which he argues are conducted to target Hamas militants operating from civilian areas. In a statement, Netanyahu criticized the report as one of the worst instances of blood libel against Israel, while the Israeli Foreign Minister condemned it as unfounded accusations describing victims as perpetrators. This development occurs against the backdrop of significant civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict, with reports indicating that over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since the onset of the conflict. The commission's findings and the claims made in the report could bolster calls for accountability and legal action against perpetrators of these alleged crimes. The international community is now left to grapple with the implications of these allegations as they seek to respond to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, with both sides continuing to hold deep-seated grievances against one another.