UN blacklists Hamas terrorists after verifying sexual violence in Oct. 7 massacre

[Twiglets1]

Article in Ynet news & other sources reporting that the United Nations has formally acknowledged that Hamas terrorists committed — and continue to commit — some of the most brutal sexual crimes on record, including rape, gang rape, genital mutilation and sexual abuse in captivity.

After UN Secretary-General António Guterres resisted adding the terror group to the “blacklist” last year, and following extensive efforts by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the UN is expected on August 14 to distribute the Secretary-General’s annual report to all members of the General Assembly.

The report details the “blacklist” of groups committing sexual crimes in armed conflicts — and, for the first time, it includes Hamas.

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjxudsidxg

What you say here is what I saw in the aftermath of October 7th. Brutal, bestial behaviour filmed and distributed by those who approved of it.

It’s hard to credit it needed this long.

Yes, that’s just me. You may have a point but I guess I selfishly want you to see me waving and say I’m here and with you 100% on this even though we have disagreed on other threads about this war. So you know some of us who do criticise Hamas and Israel’s Government do care about war crimes no matter who commits them.

That article is behind a paywall so can't read it. But I think the UN had plenty of reason to blacklist Hamas earlier. They had the footage Hamas themselves produced for one thing.

As far back as March 2024, a UN mission concluded that there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the 7 October attack in multiple locations, including rape and gang rape, and that there was "convincing information" that hostages had been subjected to sexual violence, including rape and sexualised torture.

And before they were assassinated by Israel, three top Hamas leaders were also accused by the International Criminal Court's prosecutor of the crimes against humanity of rape and other forms of sexual violence, in addition to murder, extermination and torture.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1mz8gxzg82o

Yes I posted the link to the March 2024 report and explained it.

Afraid the standard of evidence goes beyond video clips for the UN to blacklist a group. It has to be systemic so one day’s mass rape & massacre isn’t enough…UN needed Oct 7th plus the hostages to get to systemic and blacklist.

They want eye witness reports, to interview the forensics experts, to have evidence from Intelligence/security that the terrorists were Hamas and not PIJ or a criminal gang. Normal procedure is a team of UN investigators go so they can investigate alongside the country affected this speeds things up, as no need to independently verify the evidence when you have a UN liaison there with you.

As of Jan 2025, Israel was still blocking the UN from entry. So the UN then had to verify the Dinah Project evidence and report before adding their weight behind it….that takes time.

Thank you and I do see you here condemning the war crimes of Hamas.

As you say, we may disagree about other threads but we can agree that sexual violence is an abomination whoever its committed by.

And I will say the say thing if the IDF end up on the blacklist too in future, which they may do.

Thank you as well. 😌

The UN were on the ground in Gaza distributing aid (before the aid blockade). Sorry I can't believe that such a big, influential organisation couldn't find grounds to blacklist Hamas any sooner. I think the Dinah report has shamed them into doing so now.

Aid workers in Gaza are

1. not qualified to investigate war crimes of sexual violence on behalf of the UN, and,
2. Israel blocked the UN from investigating the sexual violence that happened on Oct 7th

The UN depends on Israel granting visas to access the country, and also to grant its UN investigators access to the evidence and to their own Israeli investigators, eye witnesses, and survivors.

It’s not that they did not have “grounds”, it’s the fact it took longer to get the proof to the UN because Israel insisted on doing the Oct 7th investigation by itself which delayed the addition to the blacklist.

I don’t think the Dinah Project shamed the UN to adding Hamas at all. There was no doubt they were going to be added, it’s just about due process and meeting the standard of evidence to formally blacklist.

As I said too, it seems long but it can and has taken a lot longer to get a group blacklisted. While many blinkered members of the public want to insist Hamas would never rape, etc, I never once read or heard anyone from the UN deny or express doubt that Hamas was using sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Well put it this way, Starmer would be at risk of emboldening Hamas. Carry out a bloody massacre and be rewarded for it. As if that would put a stop to Hamas - they would just regroup with more power and legal rights to hide behind. It's an absurdity to recognise proscribed terrorists, as a state, because that's what he would be doing. It's not civilians who run the show. His proposition doesn't promote a ceasefire, it promotes a prolonged conflict.

Sorry, @SummerFeverVenice - meant to tag you, in response to your question, put to me.

Rape and sexual violence is used as a weapon against women in ALL wars. Always has been.
Hamas are awful and widely recognised as terrorists. I haven’t seen many (if any) people supporting these men. There’s a big difference between Hamas and Palestinian civilians.

Of course the attack in October 2023 was heinous. But it still doesn’t justify what is happening to the women and children in Gaza right now.

@SummerFeverVenice I don't find it credible that with so much evidence around - much of it supplied by Hamas themselves - they couldn't have done this any sooner.

I appreciate you have a different opinion so I think we will just have to agree to disagree.

Why would Israel trust the UN with anything?

It’s like a policeman, who’s best friends with the criminal, investigating a crime he’s committed.

No he would not be recognising Hamas as a state. He stated that the conditions to recognise a Palestinian State were:
”They should release the hostages straight away and they should play absolutely no part in the governance of Palestine at any point.”

It is largely symbolic anyway. Most of the UN has already recognised a Palestinian State.

It isn’t going to change the facts on the ground. Hamas has lost the military war ages ago, per the IDF- there is no military reason to stay in Gaza. Israel is in control of Gaza. Israel just can’t pull out of Gaza and leave behind a power vacuum for Hamas to recover and then refill. Israel also should not annex or stay in Gaza as that would be illegal.

Sooner or later, Israel is going to have to allow some civilian authority in Gaza to take over control. Sooner means fewer dead people on both sides. A ceasefire alone will be repeating history, a ceasefire with no state for Palestine plus occupation by Israel has ever stopped the conflict. This could be what the sixth or seventh major flare up? I have lost count.

So, your idea of repeating history will only keep the conflict going for another generation. The only chance at long term peace is to have a ceasefire plus a Palestinian state.

(in my opinion)

Absolutely! Just like armed occupation doesn’t excuse Hamas on Oct 7th, nor does Oct 7th excuse Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and West Bank.

Totally disagree. Hamas IS Palestine. Oh, another one who has a problem with the relevance of the history. It is that history which explains why this isn't going to end in a two state solution.

I lend zero credibility to the UN.

As antisemitic as they come. No doubt they presume every Israeli is a Jew.

You seem to have forgotten what happened when Gazans were given an autonomous State and free elections 20 years ago and how we are here today,

Two years does seem like a terribly long time, doesn’t it. Saying that, I don’t know the average time the U.N. take to complete such tasks and the degree to which being shut out by Israel as they completed their investigations slowed things down. Overall, it is a positive that the U.N. have finally done this especially at a time when Hamas might feel like the narrative is so in their control.

It was.

Thee stony silence from many around the world including aid groups and women's groups was very telling though.