Israel’s first lady calls for urgency amid evidence of Hamas sex crimes
- There are believed to be 16 women still in Hamas captivity
- Those who survived the Oct. 7 attack witnessed sex crimes by Hamas
- Herzog called for more action from international women's groups
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(NewsNation) — Israel’s first lady says the women in Hamas captivity are being subjected to gender-based violence as evidence of the terrorist group’s sex crimes on Oct. 7 has come into focus in recent weeks.
“The gender-based violence is continuing now on a daily basis as these women are held in captivity,” Israel’s First Lady Michal Herzog told NewsNation’s Connell McShane on Monday.
Among the estimated 129 hostages still being held by Hamas, 16 are believed to be women.
“The families I met are very worried,” Herzog said. “Time is running out, (the hostages) have to be back.”
While the full scale of the sexual violence may not be known until the hostages are released, recent evidence suggests it’s widespread.
Earlier this month, a doctor who treated some of the 110 released hostages told the Associated Press at least 10 women and men among those freed were sexually assaulted or abused.
Others who survived the attack on Oct. 7 have provided harrowing accounts of sexual assault by Hamas militants during the rampage.
Herzog and other Israeli leaders have criticized women’s rights organizations for their lackluster response.
“We had witnesses and we had first responders describing, in detail, what they found and it took (UN Women) eight weeks to put out one phrase of condemnation,” Herzog said.
Earlier this month, UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, released a statement decrying the sexual violence by Hamas.
Herzog said it’s a step in the right direction but called for specific action, so it’s not just “lip service.”
Israeli authorities continue to comb through tens of thousands of videos seized from the body cameras of Hamas attackers. It’s been difficult to find rape survivors because many were killed by their attackers.
When asked whether additional negotiations and a pause in the fighting could be coming, Herzog pointed out the unique circumstances.
“Usually negotiations are held with people, states, entities that you are able to reach agreements with… Hamas is not such an entity,” she said. “It is an evil force.”
Watch the full interview with Herzog in the player above.
