Israel slams UN’s women’s office for 50-day delay in commenting on Hamas sex crimes

The Foreign Ministry tears into the UN office for women’s issues for taking 50 days to comment on the evidence of sexual violence perpetrated during Hamas’s October 7 massacre only to issue a brief statement today expressing “alarm” on the matter.

“We met with Israeli women’s organizations & heard about the work of the Civil Commission for crimes against women and children,” UN Women tweets. “We remain alarmed by gender-based violence reports on 7 Oct & call for rigorous investigation, prioritizing the rights, needs and safety of those affected,” the UN office adds.

“For almost 50 days UN Women has been SILENT on the rape, murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli women and girls. Seven weeks later and all they can muster is ‘alarm.’ Disgraceful,” the Foreign Ministry tweets.

National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz adds that UN Women’s statement “fails to explicitly address the severity of the terrorist attack, including the brutal murder of over 1,200 people in Israel, torture, and rape of women, as well as the targeting of civilians and families, is equally reprehensible.”

“Immediate and unequivocal acknowledgment of these atrocities is imperative, given the blatant violation of international law,” she adds.