Since Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel, over 150,000 Hadassah advocates from around the world have spoken out to demand that the UN and others hold Hamas accountable for the horrific conflict-related sexual violence that occurred on October 7, 2023, including against many of the hostages. In August, the UN took a first step toward this goal by listing Hamas as a party responsible for sexual violence in conflict.
Below is a quick update on our End The Silence work. Thank you to the thousands of Hadassah advocates who continue to speak out to raise awareness and advance justice for the victims of sexual violence.
UN Report Blacklists Hamas
The UN’s 2024 Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence was released in August. Thanks to Hadassah’s advocacy, for the first time, the report blacklists Hamas by adding the terrorist group to the report’s “annex” as a party credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual violence. Disturbingly, the UN report also showed record levels of conflict-related sexual violence for the second year in a row, representing a profound global moral failure.
Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz issued a statement in response to the report, noting that “Nearly 700 days since October 7, 2023, this action to hold Hamas accountable for systematically weaponizing sexual violence is long overdue… The UN must vigorously pursue justice and advance measures to hold Hamas accountable for crimes against humanity. Failure to act will only further embolden violent extremists across the world to perpetrate these heinous acts.”
Hadassah volunteer and National Board member Cheryl Sperber attended the presentation and discussion of the report before the UN Security Council on August 19. Reflecting on her experience, Sperber shared, “We ask, where are the sanctions against Hamas and other terrorist organizations? Will we once again be listening to hours upon hours of empty words, conveying no true moral imperative, imposing no real penalties on the terrorist perpetrators?”
Act Now: Add your voice now by writing to the UN today to thank them for this first step and continue demanding action to hold Hamas accountable for crimes against humanity to deter future conflict-related sexual violence.
Learn More: Hadassah’s updated End The Silence fact sheet collects and summarizes evidence from news outlets, investigative articles and other credible sources highlighting the systematic and brutal weaponization of sexual violence and rape by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and beyond. This fact sheet is meant to be a resource to fight misinformation and antisemitic biases.
What You Can Do
- Act Now: Tell the UN to hold Hamas accountable for crimes against humanity and deter future conflict-related sexual violence.
- Read More: See Hadassah’s full statement here.
- Use Hadassah’s End The Silence Fact Sheet to learn more and speak out.
- Keep Reading: See the full 2024 Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.
