NEW YORK — On Monday,
UN experts expressed alarm over “credible allegations of egregious human rights
violations” against Palestinian women and girls in the Gaza Strip and West
Bank, Arab News reported on Tuesday.
اضافة اعلان
They are being
arbitrarily executed, arbitrarily detained, raped, or threatened with sexual
violence, the experts said, adding that these alleged acts may constitute
“grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and
amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be
prosecuted under the Rome Statute.”
They called for the
perpetrators to be held accountable, and for victims’ families to receive “full
redress and justice.”
The experts cited
instances of Palestinian women and girls being reportedly arbitrarily executed
in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children.
“We are shocked by
reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian
women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing,” they
said.
“Some of them were
reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli
army or affiliated forces.”
The independent
experts include the working group on discrimination against women and girls,
the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, and
Francesca Albanese, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in
the Palestinian territories.
They expressed concern
about the arbitrary detention of “Hundreds of Palestinian women and girls,
including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza
and the West Bank since October 7.”
They have reportedly
been subjected to “inhumane and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads,
food and medicine, and severely beaten,” the experts said, adding that on at
least one occasion, female detainees were put in a cage and left without food
in the rain and cold.
The UN experts also
expressed distress at reports of multiple forms of sexual assault against
Palestinian female detainees, including being stripped naked and searched by
male Israeli officers.
“At least two female
Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly
threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said, adding that that
photos of female detainees in “degrading circumstances” were also reportedly
taken by Israeli soldiers and uploaded online.
They also expressed
concern that “an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including
girls,” have gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza.
“There are disturbing
reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army
into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose
whereabouts remain unknown,” they said.
“We remind the
Government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety,
health, and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is
subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including
sexual violence.”
The experts called for
an independent, impartial, prompt, thorough, and effective investigation into
the allegations, and for Israel to cooperate.
Read more Region and World
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
