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UN PhotoUN / ISRAEL PALESTINE SEXUAL VIOLENCE
STORY: UN / ISRAEL PALESTINE SEXUAL VIOLENCE
TRT: 3:29
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 MARCH 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
SHOTLIST:
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters
11 MARCH 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Wide shot, Council dais
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“We found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment have been committed against hostages and we have reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those in captivity.”
5. Med shot, Israeli representative
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“With regard to the 7th of October attacks, we found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict related sexual violence, including rape and gang rap e occurred in at least three locations, namely: the Nova music festival site and its surroundings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re’im. In most of these incidents, victims were first subjected to rape, then killed. In other locations, such as kibbutz Kfar Aza, while circumstantial information may indicate the occurrence of sexual violence, reported incidents of rape could not be verified.”
7. Med shot, Palestinian representative
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Pramila Patten, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations:
“While I did not receive any reports of rape, interlocutors raised with me instances of sexual violence in the context of detention of male and female Palestinians such as invasive body searches; unwanted touching of intimate areas; beatings, including in the genital areas; threats of rape against women and threats of rape against female family members - wives, sisters, daughters - in the case of men; and inappropriate strip searches and prolonged forced nudity of detainees.”
9. Wide shot, Council
10. Wide shot, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour addressing Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“The Council has shown unprecedented reactivity by convening a briefing on a report released only a week ago. It should be noted that for years and decades now, reports and investigations regarding sexual assault against Palestinian women and men, girls, and boys, have not led to the convening of a single council meeting on the matter, dealing with this issue as a human rights issue, rather than a peace and security question.”
12. Wide shot, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz addressing Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Israel Katz, Foreign Affairs Minister, Israel:
“Hamas is not speaking on behalf of the Muslim world, and we are asking you to condemn the sexual violence crimes these barbarians committed in the name of the Muslim religion. I'm demanding from the Security Council of the United Nations to put as much pressure as possible on the Hamas organisation to release immediately and unconditionally all kidnapped hostages.”
14. Wide shot, end of Council session
STORYLINE:
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, told the Security Council today (11 Mar) that “clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment have been committed against hostages” and added there are “reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those in captivity.”
The top UN official on sexual violence in war said, “there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape occurred in at least three locations, namely: the Nova music festival site and its surroundings, Road 232, and Kibbutz Re’im.”
She said, “in most of these incidents, victims were first subjected to rape, then killed. In other locations, such as kibbutz Kfar Aza, while circumstantial information may indicate the occurrence of sexual violence, reported incidents of rape could not be verified.”
With regard to instances of instances of sexual violence in the context of detention of male and female Palestinians by Israeli forces, Patten reported “invasive body searches; unwanted touching of intimate areas; beatings, including in the genital areas; threats of rape against women and threats of rape against female family members - wives, sisters, daughters - in the case of men; and inappropriate strip searches and prolonged forced nudity of detainees.”
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour for his part said the Security Council “has shown unprecedented reactivity by convening a briefing on a report released only a week ago” and noted that “for years and decades now, reports and investigations regarding sexual assault against Palestinian women and men, girls and boys, have not led to the convening of a single council meeting on the matter, dealing with this issue as a human rights issue, rather than a peace and security question.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stressed that Hamas “is not speaking on behalf of the Muslim world,” and asked the Council “to condemn the sexual violence crimes these barbarians committed in the name of the Muslim religion.”
Katz demanded that the Council “put as much pressure as possible on the Hamas organisation to release immediately and unconditionally all kidnapped hostages.”
The meeting took place against the backdrop of rising hunger in Gaza, where aid deliveries have been blocked by Israel and the risk of famine is steadily mounting, as Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) military operations are planning a ground invasion in Rafah, the southern point of the besieged and bombarded enclave, where more than 1.5 million Gazans are seeking shelter from the fighting.
