Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized international human rights organizations, women’s groups, and the United Nations for not addressing the rapes and other atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli women.
Netanyahu castigated human rights groups, women’s groups and the UN for failing to speak out about the rapes and other atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli women.
Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv alongside Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz, the prime minister notes that he met earlier with released hostages and with relatives of those still held hostage, a meeting described as hostile and stormy by those present.
“I heard heartbreaking stories of abuse,” he says. “I heard, as you have heard, about sexual abuse and unprecedented cases of cruel rape.” But, he says, he hasn’t heard women’s groups and human rights groups “scream” about this.
“Were you silent because it was Jewish women?” he asks. Later on, Netanyahu took to his official X handle, the Israeli PM posted, “I say to the women’s rights organizations, to the human rights organizations: You’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation – where the hell are you?”
"Where the hell are you?"
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) December 5, 2023
Israeli PM @Netanyahu castigates the women's rights organizations and human rights groups for failing to speak out and condemn the mass rape and sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on Oct 7. pic.twitter.com/LZ2XCYzg6F
“I expect all civilized leaders, governments, nations to speak up against this atrocity,” said Netanyahu at the Press conference asking for global condemnation against the heinous acts done by Hamas. Hamas has rejected the allegations that its gunmen committed sexual assault.
Also Read: Israel-Hamas Extended Cease Fire For Two Days: American Intervention And Hostage Releases Amid Temporary Truce
Some testimonials to the gruesome acts of Hamas:
One account shared by one of the survivors of the attacks on the music festival, conducted by Hamas, reports as follows:
- Ron Freger, a survivor, fled the music festival when Hamas attacked and said he heard a woman screaming for help. “I was lying in a pit (and) I heard (a girl) yelling: ‘They’re raping me, they’re raping me!’”
Several minutes later, he heard gunshots close by and she fell silent, he said. “The feeling in that moment is one of complete powerlessness. I’m lying in this hole and I have no ability to do anything. I have no weapon, I have nothing, I’m surrounded by other people who are hiding with me and we’re completely powerless,” said the 23-year-old from the northern Israeli town of Netanya.
- A doctor who treated some of the 110 released hostages told that at least 10 men and women among those freed were sexually assaulted or abused, but did not provide further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity to protect the hostages’ identities.
- Last month, Israel’s police chief presented to the international news media videotaped testimony of a rape witness at the music festival. Her face blurred, she said she watched militants gang-rape a woman as she lay on the ground. The men then stood her up as blood trickled from her back, yanked her hair and sliced her breast, playing with it as they assaulted her. The last man shot her in the head while he was still inside her. The woman in the video described watching the militants as she pretended to be dead.
- A combat medic told the AP that he came across half a dozen bodies of women and men with possible signs of sexual assault when he reached one of the attacked communities.
[…] Also Read: Netanyahu Fumes Over Global Silence On Sexual Violence By Hamas […]