UNITED Nations (UN) experts have expressed their shock and alarm at credible allegations of human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls.
Officials say they have been told of horrifying instances where women and girls fleeing violence, and while reportedly holding white pieces of cloth, were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces.
Palestinian women and girls have been “arbitrarily” executed in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, the experts said in a statement.
The independent experts, part of the UN’s fact-finding and monitoring arm of the Human Rights Council, include Reem Alsalem, special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, and several officials on the body’s working group on discrimination against women and girls.
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Hundreds of Palestinian women who have been detained since October 7 are also understood to have been subjected to dehumanising treatment, from being denied sanitary products to being severely beaten. Women and girls have also been refused food and medicine.
The experts described how on at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage without food in the rain and cold.
“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers,” the experts said.
“At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.”
Photographs of female Palestinian detainees in degrading circumstances were also allegedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.
An unknown number of Palestinian women and children have also reportedly gone missing after making contact with the Israeli army in Gaza.
“There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” they added.
“We remind the government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health, and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence,” the experts said.
The independent experts called for an impartial investigation into the claims and for Israel to cooperate.
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“Taken together, these alleged acts may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute,” they said.
“Those responsible for these apparent crimes must be held accountable and victims and their families are entitled to full redress and justice.”
Alsalem was joined in raising concerns by Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Dorothy Estrada Tanck, working group chair, and members Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu, and Laura Nyirinkindi.
It comes as more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
They said on Monday that 107 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours. That brings the total number of fatalities to 29,092 since the start of the conflict.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its records, but says most of those killed were women and children.
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