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A UN report released on Monday stated that there was “convincing information” suggesting Palestinian militant group Hamas engaged in sexual violence during the attacks against Israel on October 7.
Investigators, however, were unable to verify some claims and said a “fully fledged investigation” would be required to establish the overall magnitude, scope and specific attribution for the sexual violence.
“The mission team found clear and convincing information that some hostages taken to Gaza have been subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence and has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing,” the 24-page UN report said.
Hamas has repeatedly rejected accusations it took part in sexual violence during the attack.
Pramila Patten, special representative of the Secretary General on sexual violence in conflict, who recently returned from a trip to Israel, told reporters in New York that the team had found that there are “reasonable grounds” that violence including rape and gang rape occurred in at least three locations.
She said women had been raped and killed. The team also found a recurring pattern of victims found fully or partially undressed, bound and shot, “often in the head”.
The mission to Israel, led by Ms Patten, was conducted over a period of two and a half weeks from January 29 to February 14, and was not meant to be “investigative in nature” but to “gather, analyse and verify” allegations against Hamas.
Hostages leave Gaza and Palestinian detainees leave jail – in pictures
The UN mission visited four locations affected by the attacks in the Gaza periphery: Nahal Oz military base, Kibbutz Beeri, the Nova music festival site and Road 232.
The team reviewed 5,000 photos and about 50 hours of footage of the attacks provided by various state agencies, and independent private and open sources.
According to the report, the team encountered challenges in collecting and verifying details on the occurrence of conflict-related sexual violence due to difficulty gaining access to survivors and witnesses.
It also noted that the information gathered by the team was in a large part sourced from Israeli national institutions due to the absence of UN entities operating in Israel, "as well as the lack of co-operation by the state of Israel with relevant United Nations bodies with an investigative mandate".
The absence of comprehensive forensic evidence also “limited the mission team’s ability to draw definitive forensic conclusions in many instances”.
Ms Patten said that the team did not meet any survivor of sexual violence of October 7 attacks despite making a “call for survivors to come forward”.
“But we received information that a handful of them were receiving very specialised trauma treatment, and were not prepared to come forward,” she said.
The report added that the distrust survivors and hostage families had towards national institutions, international organisations and media scrutiny limited access to survivors.
Mother of two hostages describes nightmare situation with Hamas – video
At Kibbutz Beeri, Ms Patten said, her team “was able to determine that at least two allegations of sexual violence widely repeated in the media were unfounded due to either new superseding information or inconsistency in the facts gathered”.
Chloe Marnay-Baszanger, team leader of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict said they could not verify any sexual violence in Kibbutz Beeri.
It “does not mean necessarily it didn't occur", she told reporters. “It means we couldn't verify it.”
Ms Patten stressed that the findings will be used solely for the “purpose of the annual report of the Secretary General which will be debated before the council on the of April 25”.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Israel’s ambassador Gilad Erdan said: “Where is the voice of the United Nations?
"We have heard the empty words of UN officials calling for the release of the hostages. But have we seen any of them take action? Nothing.
“During the last five months, there was not a single discussion here dedicated to the welfare of the hostages."
After Mr Erdan’s remarks, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned his UN envoy for consultations “regarding the attempt to silence the serious UN report".
“Despite the authority granted to him, the UN Secretary General did not order the convening of the Security Council in view of the findings, in order to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation and impose sanctions on its supporters,” Mr Katz wrote on the X social network.
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Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
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Groom and Two Brides
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The President's Cake
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Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
