DaysofPal- The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz has revealed that Israel is obstructing a United Nations investigation into sexual violence by Israeli authorities against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
The obstruction reportedly stems from fears that Israel, rather than Hamas, could be blacklisted due to such practices against Palestinian detainees.
The newspaper also noted that the investigation into the allegations of sexual crimes during the Hamas-led attack will include examining sexual violence committed by Israeli forces as reported by Palestinians.
Israeli media reported that officials are opposing the United Nations investigation because it includes examining Israeli sexual crimes committed by Israelis against Palestinians.
Pramila Patten, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict, has called for an investigation into Israeli detention centers as a prerequisite for investigating the alleged sexual crimes reportedly committed on October 7, 2023.
The request, which was rejected by “Israel,” would have granted the United Nations access to Israeli prisons to investigate the treatment of Palestinian detainees.
Representatives from the Israeli women’s lobby group, familiar with Pramila Patten’s team, informed Haaretz that any discovery of abuses could lead to Israel being blacklisted by the United Nations for sexual crimes.
“The clear concern is that Israel will be the country added to the blacklist of entities and states practicing sexual violence in conflict, not Hamas,” Mia Schocken, director of the international department of the women’s lobby group, said Haaretz.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict is urging Israel to sign a framework agreement for cooperation with her office.
This agreement would grant access to detention facilities and require the occupying state to implement measures under UN guidance to prevent sexual violence in conflict and address its consequences.
Earlier, the Associated Press reported that allegations of Hamas committing sexual violence during the October 7 attack were determined to be fabricated.
The agency quoted Israeli official Haim Otmazgin, who initially accused Hamas of such acts, saying: “It’s not that I made up a story, but it turned out to be different, and I corrected it.”
Otmazgin further acknowledged that he had not presented any convincing evidence to substantiate the claims regarding the events of October 7.
The Associated Press stated that claims of sexual violence narrated by Haim Otmazgin regarding the October 7 attack, which was widely circulated globally, were found to be unfounded and did not occur.
In response, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) dismissed the accusations as fabricated lies intended to tarnish the movement’s reputation and obscure its humane treatment of Israeli detainees during the operation.
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