October 7 attacks: EU sanctions Hamas for “sexual violence”

The European Union announced on Friday that it had imposed sanctions on military affiliates of Hamas and Islamic Jihad for “widespread sexual violence” during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Fighters from the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, Hamas’ Nukhba unit, and the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, “systematically committed large-scale sexual and gender-based violence as weapons of war,” says the EU. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are already included in the EU list of “terrorist organizations.”

Hamas denies

Three Palestinian entities have been added to the European Union’s human rights sanctions list, which affects 104 individuals and 26 organizations from different countries. The decision to impose these sanctions is part of an agreement between EU countries that also includes sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank accused of violence against Palestinians.

The EU says abuses committed by Hamas include “rape and murder of minors, mutilation of corpses and genital mutilation.” She also accused the attackers of “targetedly abducting women and girls.”

Hamas has from the outset denied any attacks or sexual violence against hostages or during terrorist attacks, while a UN report released on March 4 contained “clear and convincing information” establishing that some hostages were sexually assaulted and that there were “reasonable grounds” for this. the sexual assault is believed to have taken place on the day of the attacks.

“Systematic” violence

In February, the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI) already published a 39-page report to the UN on sexual violence committed during the October 7 attacks, and noted that the latter were “committed systematically” in Israel. day of the attack and captured by hostages.

This report confirms that numerous rapes and sexual assaults were committed, as well as mutilation of bodies and corpses. The association refers to deliberate genital mutilation with “the desire to destroy female organs in order to violate their dignity.”

To prepare this summary, ARCCI compiled reports from government sources, press investigations, testimony from first responders on the ground, and the stories of professionals and victims it was able to hear through its crisis line.