UN cites 'growing body of evidence' of Hamas's sexual violence during Oct. 7 attacks

UNexperts on Monday demanded accountability forsexual violence againstIsraeli civilians during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, saying that mounting evidence of rapes and genital mutilation point to possible crimes against humanity.

Israeli authorities haveopened an investigationinto possiblesexual crimes during the most deadly attack onIsraelin its history. Hamas denies the abuses.

"The growing body of evidence about reportedsexual violence is particularly harrowing," two UN-appointed independent experts said in a statement on Monday. The statement referred to allegations ofsexual torture including rape and gang rape as well as mutilations and gunshots to genital areas.

"These acts constitute gross violations of international law, amounting to war crimes which, given the number of victims and the extensive premeditation and planning of the attacks, may also qualify as crimes against humanity," the experts said.

"Each and every victim deserves to be recognized, regardless of their ethnicity, religion orsex, and our role is to be their voice," they added.

WATCH | Witness recalls sexual violence carried out by Hamas onOct. 7:

Witness accounts describe sexual violence by Hamas during Oct. 7 attacks on Israel

10 months ago

Duration 1:49

WARNING: This video contains graphic content. Israeli police published video footage of eyewitness accounts, with identities blurred, describing sexual violence carried out by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

Israelhas previously criticized the global body for not doing enough to address the issue as part of a bid to getgreater recognitionfor the alleged crimes.

In November, the group Physicians for Human Rights Israel published a report on the sexual violence that occurred on Oct. 7 based on open-source photos, video, information and its own interviews. The groupdocumented suchincidents at the Nova music festival near Israel's southern border, homes aroundthe Gaza Stripand an Israeli military base.

"It is becoming more apparent that the violence perpetrated against women, men and children also included widespread sexual and gender-based crimes," the report said.

The government of Israel also presented evidence to the United Nations in early December, drawing on eyewitness testimony from volunteers and police about the brutalities they'd seen.

The two experts on torture and on executions Alice Jill Edwards and Morris Tidball-Binz have raised the issue with Hamas authorities, they said.

Edwards is the UN'sspecial rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Tidball-Binzis a special rapporteur onextra-judicial or arbitrary executions.

Both experts have also written toIsrael's government and called for co-operation with their investigators.