Warning: This article features highly disturbing descriptions. Discretion is advised.
Disturbing testimonies of survivors of music festival survivors
(Video: UN, Israel Police)
In a special session at the United Nations on Monday evening, Israel revealed graphic evidence of the severe atrocities and sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against Israeli women on October 7.
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The event, initiated by Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, featured disturbing testimonies obtained during police investigations into the experiences of survivors of the Hamas attack on a music festival in southern Israel.
Chief Superintendent Yael Reichert, representative of Israel Police's anti-corruption wing Lahav 443, said at the conference that these are just "a portion of the shocking testimonies that prove the horrendous crimes against humanity. My life and our lives as women, as a mother and a police officer will never be the same as before October 7."
She further stressed that, "We must ensure the security and peace of Israel, for us, for our children and our future generations."
Reichert noted that the terrorists operated according to a systematic plan. "They carried out a massacre against innocent civilians without discrimination based on religion, race or gender. Massive destruction of every living soul that stood in their way. As part of the investigation, the Israel Police is investigating sexual assaults perpetrated against the victims."
Over the weekend, a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas collapsed on its penultimate day after Hamas refused to release ten Israeli women hostages who are known to be alive. Israeli officials have speculated in recent days that Hamas refused to release the women due to concerns that their accounts from captivity could significantly tarnish Hamas's reputation.
An Israeli official told Ynet in this context, "We know why they are not returning them, and they know that we know."
On Monday, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller confirmed the behind-the-scenes assertions by senior Israeli officials. "It seems one of the reasons they don't want to turn women over... and the reason this pause fell apart is they don't want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody," he told the press.
Sheryl Sandberg, former Facebook COO, spoke at the UN event, saying: "Hamas murdered 1,200 souls - and in some cases raped them. We know this from survivors, from paramedics - and we are here to say that rape cannot be part of war. No matter which protest you attend, which flag you wave - there is one thing we all agree on: rape is terror, rape is abuse."
Sandberg added: "Silence around these war crimes is dangerous. The world needs to decide who to believe - the Hamas spokesperson who said rape is forbidden even though it happened, or the women? Whose bodies tell how they spent the last minutes of their lives. Whom are we going to believe? I call on all women's organizations - woman, man - to unite against these injustices. I call on global leaders to stand up and raise your voices - rape is unacceptable. We need you to back your words with actions. It is unbearable that those with the power to change - do not use it."