Israel is accusing the UN Women organization of hypocrisy, saying it fights against gender-based violence yet has remained silent about women and girls held by Hamas in Gaza, also accusing it of ignoring evidence of rapes during the Oct. 7 attack on civilians.
Gilad Erdan, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, criticized the group on Monday at a meeting on sexual and gender-based violence at the U.N. building: “UN Women ignored all of the proof and were blind to all the evidence, including video footage of clear testimonies of sexual crimes.”
According to The Associated Press, a spokesperson for UN Women claimed the organization publicly expressed alarm at reports of gender-based violence on Oct. 7 and that the numerous accounts must be “vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”