Israeli army rapes caged Palestinian women, UN experts say.
As the tensions between Israel and Palestine increase, it has been reported that Israeli army men are allegedly carrying out rape attempts on Palestinian women and are subjecting them to sexual violence in detention centers.
A statement issued by the Human Rights Council indicated that the reports of the violence of Israeli soldiers on Palestinian female prisoners are indeed correct.
The statement further revealed around two detainees were raped and several others were threatened with sexual violence and rape. Moreover, one woman was kept in a cage and was exposed to wind and rain. Added to this Israeli male officers searched the women and Israeli soldiers posted humiliating pictures of the detainees online.
Since October 7th, hundreds of Palestinian women have been subjected to severe inhumane treatments which include denial of food, menstrual products beating, and sexual violence.
The reports have gathered widespread criticism. The UN experts have called for an independent investigation into these allegations. The experts have claimed this is a crime under international criminal law that can be prosecuted under the Rome Statute.
They said those responsible for these alleged crimes must be held accountable and that victims and their families are entitled to full compensation and justice.
The statement comes amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, which killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians, mostly of them including women and children. Israel has destroyed most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure and homes since October 7.
Israel’s attack on Gaza prompted South Africa to file a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. On January 26, the court announced interim measures requiring Israel to prevent and punish genocide.
The Palestinian Authority’s Commission on Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners confirmed in December that at least 142 women, including old women and children, are currently in the country’s prisons.
In a joint statement with the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, the commission warned that horrific crimes had been committed against female prisoners.
Women and girls account for 70 percent of those killed in Gaza since October 7, compared to less than 14 percent between 2008 and October 7, 2023. Around 6,542 Palestinian deaths have been documented by the United Nations.
Reem Alsalem, wrote in January that the killing of thousands of civilians in Gaza, of whom 70 percent are women and children, cannot be seen as anything but the codification of a trend that has been a long time coming.
