Pramila Patten, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, is set to travel to Israel to investigate instances of sexual crimes against both Israeli men and women perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Patten is anticipated to commence the investigation at the end of January. The findings from her inquiry will be incorporated into Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report to the Security Council.
On January 8, UN experts released a statement, calling for an investigation and prosecution of all individuals accountable for the crimes perpetrated against civilians in Israel on October 7.
Addressing sexual violence, experts Alice Jill Edwards and Morris Tidball-Bintz assert that such acts can be categorized as crimes against humanity. Their statement emphasized, "There are no circumstances justifying these actions."
