Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Pramila Patten will arrive at the head of a 10-member delegation on Monday to gather evidence on the sexual crimes committed by Hamas in the October 7 atrocities. Patten who serves as the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict will also visit the Palestinian Authority.
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She does not have any legal authority and will therefore only gather information and data on the Hamas crimes, while the investigation of the atrocities is being conducted by others in the UN.
Patten will deliver her findings upon her return to New York and they would be included in the annual report by the Secretary General, which is expected in April and in which one chapter would be dedicated to Israel. She will also present the findings to the Security Council's annual session on sexual violence.
The delegation will meet with officials, visit the communities attacked by Hamas in the October 7 massacre and the sight of the Nova music festival where many of the crimes were committed. Patton is expected to also meet officials involved I the investigation of the atrocities including the police, and the Justice Ministry and meet with forensic medicine officials and will also visit the Shura camp where the bodies of the victims were identified.
Israel's UN envoy Gilad Erdan will accompany Patten and the delegation. He said the Israeli initiative to invite the UN delegation came after the deafening silence of international women's groups in the wake of the atrocities.