Kamala Harris: Hamas committed horrific acts of sexual violence on Oct. 7
www.haaretz.com
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U.S. Vice President’s remarks come amid allegations from Israel’s critics that claims of sexual and gender-based violence were either fabricated or exaggerated in order to provide justification for its military response in Gaza

Speaking at an event dedicated to raising awareness on conflict-related sexual violence, including the airing of Sheryl Sandberg’s “Screams Before Silence” documentary, “On October 7, Hamas committed horrific acts of sexual violence,” Harris said.

Her remarks come amid steady criticism from Israel’s critics on the left that claims of sexual and gender-based violence were either fabricated or exaggerated in order to provide justification for its military response in Gaza following October 7.

“In the days after October 7, I saw images of bloodied Israeli women abducted,” she continued. “Hamas committed rape and gang rape at the Nova music festival, and women’s bodies were found naked from the waist down, hands tied behind their back and shot in the head.”

  • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
    102·
    5 months ago

    Testimonies are evidence. That’s why prosecutors call witnesses to the stand.

    In fact testimonies are often preferred over non-testimonial evidence, aka “circumstantial evidence”.

    The UN obtained testimonial evidence and circumstantial evidence of sexual violence:

    [We] collected and preserved digital evidence, including images of victims’ bodies displaying indications of sexual violence, a pattern corroborated by independent testimonies from witnesses

      • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
        101·
        5 months ago

        That’s completely false.

        the Commission documented cases indicative of sexual violence perpetrated against women and men in and around the Nova festival site, as well as the Nahal Oz military outpost and several kibbutzim, including Kfar Aza, Re’im and Nir Oz. It collected and preserved digital evidence, including images of victims’ bodies displaying indications of sexual violence, a pattern corroborated by independent testimonies from witnesses.

        • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
          211·
          5 months ago

          It’s literally written in the UN investigation. It’s highlighted even in the image I posted.

          • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
            91·
            5 months ago

            That’s not what they said.

            Read it more closely. This is literally in the same report:

            Based on the information gathered by the mission team from multiple and independent sources, there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the 7 October attacks