A delegation made up of 40 family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and led by Foreign Minister Israel Katz will travel to New York late on Sunday, to attend the special UN Security Council session on Hamas sexual crimes during the October 7 massacre and the report submitted to the Secretary General on the subject.
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Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten submitted the 24-page report last week. Her team visited Israel to gather information and hear testimonies and has also attended a screening of the "clip of horrors," showing the atrocities committed by the terrorists as they themselves filmed them and as security cameras captured them.
The members of family are mostly related to the 19 women who are held hostage out of the 134 captives. 14 of the women are presumed alive and 5 were murdered and their bodies are being held by the terrorists.
"This session is critical and may have an effect that would finally prompt the UN to use its mandate and its forces for good. For the benefit of the hostages," said Yarden Gonen whose 23-year old sister Romi was abducted from the Nova festival.
"The Patten report made a difference if only by the UN now speaking out on the subject with some force, for the first time. Unfortunately, it did so later than expected," she said. "We have to continue to use this momentum and push further."
But the UN has let the hostages and their families down, more than once. "I have little hope," Gonen said. "But wherever we can come and have our voices heard and bring down the number of people who continue to refer to the crimes as alleged, I will shout out because my sister and 133 others cannot," she said.
"It is sad that in 2024, we still have to convince people and prove sexual harassment. What are these women's' organizations for if not to prevent this need? How long can we keep shouting at deaf ears?" she asked adding she believed there was still a chance of convincing people.
Some women who were released from captivity in November are also in the delegation including Aviva Segal who recounted the sexual assaults and violence she was witness to during the 51 days she was held hostage.
Katz said the convening of the Security Council is a win for Israel but he does not intend to stoop there. "The religious authorities in the Hamas instructed the terrorists to murder, rape and desecrate the bodies of our daughters. Their families will stand at my side to remind the UN Secretary General and the entire world that the people of Israel will not accept what had happened and will not stop until the UN proclaims that Hamas is a terror organization."