United Nations consultants are expressing alarm over studies of alleged human rights violations in Gaza and the West Financial institution.
UN consultants have expressed alarm over allegations of human rights violations towards Palestinian girls and women in Gaza and the occupied West Financial institution since Israel launched its conflict on Gaza on October 7.
The UN Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated in a press release on Monday that it had acquired info that Palestinian girls and women have “reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, usually along with members of the family, together with their youngsters”.
The UN consultants stated they have been “shocked by studies of the deliberate concentrating on and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian girls and kids in locations the place they sought refuge, or whereas fleeing. A few of them have been reportedly holding white items of material after they have been killed by the Israeli military or affiliated forces.”
Israel launched an assault on Gaza after the Palestinian group Hamas led an assault on Israel on October 7, killing at the very least 1,139 individuals, based on an Al Jazeera tally based mostly on official Israeli figures. Round 250 others have been seized and brought to Gaza as hostages.
Israel has responded with a devastating bombardment and floor invasion that has displaced greater than 80 p.c of Gaza’s inhabitants and diminished a lot of the territory to ruins. Greater than 29,000 individuals have been killed within the Israeli assault, based on Palestinian authorities.
Within the occupied West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, Israeli forces have intensified raids since October 7, killing a whole lot of Palestinians and detaining hundreds of others.
The UN consultants expressed alarm over the arbitrary detention of a whole lot of Palestinian girls and women together with human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian staff in Gaza and the West Financial institution.
Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman remedy, denied menstrual pads, meals and drugs and in addition struggling extreme beatings, the OHCHR stated. On at the very least one event, Palestinian girls detained in Gaza have been allegedly stored in a cage within the rain and chilly, with out meals.
“We’re notably distressed by studies that Palestinian girls and women in detention have additionally been subjected to a number of types of sexual assault, reminiscent of being stripped bare and searched by male Israeli military officers. At the least two feminine Palestinian detainees have been reportedly raped whereas others have been reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the consultants stated.
They famous that photographs of feminine detainees in degrading circumstances have been additionally reportedly taken by the Israeli military and uploaded on-line.
An unknown variety of Palestinian girls and kids, together with women, have reportedly gone lacking after contact with the Israeli military in Gaza, the consultants stated.
“There are disturbing studies of at the very least one feminine toddler forcibly transferred by the Israeli military into Israel, and of youngsters being separated from their mother and father, whose whereabouts stay unknown,” they stated.
They known as for an unbiased, neutral and efficient investigation into the allegations and for Israel to cooperate.
“Taken collectively, these alleged acts could represent grave violations of worldwide human rights and humanitarian legislation, and quantity to critical crimes beneath worldwide prison legislation that may very well be prosecuted beneath the Rome Statute,” the consultants stated.
“These accountable for these obvious crimes have to be held accountable and victims and their households are entitled to full redress and justice.”
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