Conflict-related sexual violence ‘intensified’ in 2023, says UN
Conflict-related sexual violence has “intensified” in 2023, a United Nations (UN) report released on Friday said.
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The document describes in particular the "sexual assaults" committed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and the "credible information" about rapes committed by Hamas on hostages in the Gaza Strip.
"In 2023, due to the emergence of new conflicts and the escalation of existing ones, civilian populations were exposed to higher levels of conflict-related sexual violence", estimates the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in his annual report on this subject.
Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancies, forced marriages... these acts of violence continue to "be used as a tactic of war, torture and terrorism", Guterres continued.
The UN Secretary-General based his report on existing situations, namely in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Sudan, Mali and Haiti.
The victims are "overwhelmingly" women and girls, but "men, boys and persons with diverse gender identities were also affected", mostly in places of detention.
This is the case in the West Bank. "Information verified by the UN confirmed indications that Palestinian men and women detained by Israeli forces, following the attacks of 7 October, are frequently subjected to beatings, ill-treatment and humiliation, including sexual abuse, such as kicking in the genital area and threats of rape", the report states.
The document also mentions "similar" acts of violence committed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military after the launch of the ground offensive.
Regarding the accusations of sexual violence committed by Hamas, following the unprecedented attack of 7 October, the document refers back to the conclusions of the UN Special Representative, Pramila Patten, published in early March, after a trip to Israel.
At that time, it was noted that "there are reasonable grounds to believe that acts of sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, were committed in at least three locations" on 7 October and that "there are also reasonable grounds to believe that such acts of violence may be ongoing".
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