More than 45 days have elapsed since the horrific attack by Hamas terrorists on Israeli soil on October 7th, 2023, igniting the “Iron Swords” war. This assault resulted in over 1,300 casualties, thousands wounded, and 238 individuals kidnapped to Gaza to serve as hostages and human shields for Hamas’s monstrous terrorists. Many of the victims, particularly women, were brutalized before being killed, including numerous cases of rape and vandalism. The world’s indifferent reaction to these attacks, especially by international organizations responsible for human rights and, specifically, women’s rights, such as the United Nations and UN Women, has compounded the devastation.
Every year, on November 25th, the UN commemorates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The aim of this day is to raise awareness and eradicate gender-based violence and abuse against girls and women globally.
Regrettably, Israeli women and children are being neglected by these international organizations tasked with safeguarding women's protection and wellbeing. Nearly a week after the tragic events initiated by Hamas on October 7, UN Women issued a statement, which reads, “UN Women condemns the attacks on civilians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and is deeply alarmed by the devastating impact on civilians including women and girls.” Remarkably absent from the statement is any specific recognition of Israeli women and children who are victims. The statement fails to mention them, and its expression of concern is exclusively directed towards the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The statement then continues to assert unwavering support solely for Palestinian women. Subsequently, on October 20, a more comprehensive assessment was released by UN Women, focusing on “the devastating impact of the crisis in Gaza on women and girls,” and it makes no mention at all of the crimes committed against Israeli women.
It is incomprehensible that a UN agency tasked with championing women's rights would overlook the plight of Israeli victims, Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the tragic loss of hundreds of innocent lives of both children and women. The UN and its agencies, such as UN Women, should, and must, be committed to the rights of women from all ethnicities, nationalities, and backgrounds.
Ambassador of Israel to Thailand, Orna Sagiv, stated: “We urgently call upon the UN and all human rights agencies around the world to strongly condemn the brutal attack and atrocities perpetrated by Hamas against Israeli women. We implore them to address the rape, slaughter and abduction of innocent hostages, take immediate actions to safeguard the special humanitarian rights of women and children, and use all available means to expose and acknowledge these atrocious and horrific acts of violence against women and girls.
I invite all women and men to join our campaign on November 25, by posting on social media using the hashtag #BELIEVEISRAELIWOMEN, and urging the international community to acknowledge the atrocities committed by Hamas, and to condemn this deliberate violence against women!"