Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss on Monday cried foul over how the United Nations and the world have largely ignored for months the rape, murder and captivity of Israeli women by the terror group Hamas.
Fluss visited the DAILY TRIBUNE office to express dismay over the “apathy” shown their women by the UN and other nations during International Women’s Day this March. “It is very disturbing that many people, media, countries, leaders have already forgotten what happened,” he said.
He was referring to the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas that killed over 1,200 Israelis.
In turn, some 31,000 people have reportedly been killed in fighting between the Israeli Defense Force and Hamas in Gaza.
Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, with some of its allies persuading it not to attack Rafah, the southern Gaza city where over a million refugees are taking shelter.
“It took the UN almost five months to come out with a report that finally gave recognition to Israeli women who were sexually abused, raped, murdered, mutilated, and sort of treated as nothing, not just on the day of 7 October, but also during captivity,” Fluss said.
Among those killed in the Hamas attack were 12 children under the age of 10, two infants, and 25 elderly people over the age of 80. Of the over 1,200 who died, 764 were civilians, according to the Times of Israel.
Ambassador Fluss lamented that “whenever Israel claims something, it has to be investigated (by the UN), doubting whatever Israeli authorities say.”
“But when they have Hamas declarations, everybody takes those as fact. A lot of disinformation is coming from Hamas but is taken by the global community as true. Why are we treated in such a discriminatory way and why are Israeli women not trusted?” he asked.
To date 19 women are still in captivity, suffering “ordeals that women can never imagine,” the envoy said.
“We know that these women were raped in captivity and suffered abuse and torture. People are forgetting that Hamas is still holding 134 hostages in Gaza. So, for me, Israeli women are being ignored, (during) this time of Women’s Month,” he said.
“It’s about time to hear not only from the Special Rapporteur who came up with a report, but from the UN community, international leaders, and women’s organizations, from national women’s organizations of at least one word of sympathy and support for Israeli women,” Fluss added.
He then questioned their silence on the brutal attacks on Israeli women. He disclosed that of the 134 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, at least 30 are now dead, based on Israeli intelligence reports.
“We are in a complicated situation, and we are negotiating for the release of our people from the most murderous terror organization on earth. What is also disturbing is that the UN and other countries are not even discussing the designation of Hamas as a terror organization despite the footage and pure evidence that we have. This shows the extent of the bias against Israel,” said the ambassador.
Violations vs Palestinian women
Last month, UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem expressed alarm over allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
“We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding up white pieces of cloth when the Israeli army or affiliated forces killed them,” Alsalem’s statement said.
The UN experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October.
“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said.
The UN experts also expressed concern that an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza.
“There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army to Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” they said.
“We remind the government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health, and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence,” the experts said.