UN Draft Report Accused of Shielding Hamas, Smearing Israel Over Sexual Violence Claims
A South African advocate accuses the UN of downplaying Hamas’s systematic sexual violence against Israelis on October 7, 2023, and in Gaza captivity, while equating it with unverified claims against Israel. The critique highlights differing evidence standards and calls for accountability for Hamas’s war crimes.
Rozanne Sacks, co-founder of Koleinu SA, a South African advocacy group for gender-based violence victims, has criticized the United Nations for what she calls “moral blindness” in its handling of sexual violence allegations in the Israel-Gaza War. In a recent Jewish Report article, Sacks argues that a UN draft report released on August 14, 2025, employs differing evidence standards to create a false equivalency between Hamas’s documented atrocities and unverified claims against Israeli forces, undermining justice for victims.
The Dinah Project, led by Bar-Ilan University scholars, compiled extensive evidence of Hamas’s systematic use of sexual violence during the October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 abducted. The report, titled “A Quest for Justice,” documents 17 incidents of sexual assault across six locations, including the Nova music festival, Route 232, and kibbutzim like Be’eri and Re’im. Testimonies from 15 released hostages, first responders, and forensic evidence reveal gang rapes, genital mutilation, and public humiliation, with victims often found naked, bound, and shot. In Gaza, hostages faced ongoing rape, forced nudity, and sexual torture, with two male hostages reporting severe humiliation after 500 days in captivity. These acts, deemed war crimes and potential crimes against humanity, led to Hamas’s inclusion on the UN’s blacklist for sexual violence in conflict in August 2025.
In contrast, the UN report cites unverified allegations of sexual violence by Israeli forces against Palestinian detainees, often based on second-hand accounts lacking forensic backing. Despite this, the UN issued Israel a warning for potential future blacklisting. Sacks condemns this, stating, “Equating the Israel Defense Forces with Hamas erodes the moral clarity necessary to confront crimes against humanity. It aims to reduce the suffering of mass rape and sexual-torture victims to nothing more than an accepted behavioural norm within conflict. It dilutes accountability for the perpetrators, who have openly celebrated their crimes.” Unlike Hamas, which encourages sexual violence as a terror tactic, Israel’s legal system allows for investigations and prosecutions, with soldiers facing civilian court oversight.
Sacks argues the UN’s approach deflects from Hamas’s barbarism, noting that while Israel investigates allegations internally, Hamas’s leadership openly endorses such acts. The controversy, amplified by a March 2024 UN report confirming “clear and convincing” evidence of Hamas’s sexual crimes, underscores the need for accountability and an end to false equivalencies.