Hamas attacks Israel
- Thread starter Serryah
- Start date
Iran flexing through proxies. Who and where does retaliation get directed?
The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command created the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) unit, which is part of a multi-national naval partnership. This partnership "exists to promote security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world's most important shipping lanes," the CMS says, including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Persian Gulf -- all of which comprise the doorway into the Eastern Mediterranean.
Given the oil exports from the area, coupled with access to the Mediterranean Sea, Africa and Asia, its strategic location brings threats by criminals, as well as illicit nation-state actors that endanger worldwide shipping. These threats have only been magnified by the excuse of the Israel-Hamas war, as Houthi rebels based in Yemen have increased attacks during this time.
Israel will pay a “heavy price” if it expands its war on Hamas to assassinate militant leaders living in Turkey or elsewhere outside the Gaza Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Hamas leaders have routinely sought safe havens in Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, Russia and Turkey. Israel has generally refrained from pursuing them to avoid diplomatic upheaval. But since the murderous foray into Israel on Oct. 7, Israel has warned that no place will be safe for Hamas leaders. Netanyahu recently said he instructed the Israeli spy agency Mossad to "act against the heads of Hamas wherever they are."
Released hostages slam Israel, say they feared airstrikes 'would kill us': Updates — USA TODAY
Released hostages and families of those still held by Hamas assailed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war Cabinet at a meeting.
Hostage families have tense meeting with War Cabinet, say Netanyahu 'detached' from their concerns
Families of hostages and freed captives described in great detail what happens to those being held by Hamas; 'Terrified that it would not be Hamas, but Israel, that would kill us'
The longer Israel takes to do something about actually freeing the hostages, the worse it's going to be for the Government.
Lies from Hamas, Lies from Israel and the civilians/people stuck in the middle.
So what does it all boil down to other than G20 Vs BRICS?Iran flexing through proxies. Who and where does retaliation get directed?
The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command created the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) unit, which is part of a multi-national naval partnership. This partnership "exists to promote security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world's most important shipping lanes," the CMS says, including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Persian Gulf -- all of which comprise the doorway into the Eastern Mediterranean.
View attachment 20292
Given the oil exports from the area, coupled with access to the Mediterranean Sea, Africa and Asia, its strategic location brings threats by criminals, as well as illicit nation-state actors that endanger worldwide shipping. These threats have only been magnified by the excuse of the Israel-Hamas war, as Houthi rebels based in Yemen have increased attacks during this time.
Israel will pay a “heavy price” if it expands its war on Hamas to assassinate militant leaders living in Turkey or elsewhere outside the Gaza Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Hamas leaders have routinely sought safe havens in Qatar, Lebanon, Iran, Russia and Turkey. Israel has generally refrained from pursuing them to avoid diplomatic upheaval. But since the murderous foray into Israel on Oct. 7, Israel has warned that no place will be safe for Hamas leaders. Netanyahu recently said he instructed the Israeli spy agency Mossad to "act against the heads of Hamas wherever they are."
Released hostages slam Israel, say they feared airstrikes 'would kill us': Updates — USA TODAY
Released hostages and families of those still held by Hamas assailed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war Cabinet at a meeting.apple.news
Israeli navy is going to have to be the ones who handle this. The US fucked Ukraine up the ass now theyll do the same with Israel.
Why? Because Joe Biden isnt popular enough.
Last edited:
The nuke hostages or the human hostages?Hostage families have tense meeting with War Cabinet, say Netanyahu 'detached' from their concerns
Families of hostages and freed captives described in great detail what happens to those being held by Hamas; 'Terrified that it would not be Hamas, but Israel, that would kill us'www.ynetnews.com
The longer Israel takes to do something about actually freeing the hostages, the worse it's going to be for the Government.
Lies from Hamas, Lies from Israel and the civilians/people stuck in the middle.
Yeah nuke hostage are bad for Govt. How did they attack and ransack a nuke base with zero experience?
Please do keep up. You look ridiculous barking about 2 months ago.
Reports of Hamas raping female Israeli hostages ’appalling,’ Biden says
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Darlene Superville
Published Dec 05, 2023 • 3 minute read
BOSTON — U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully denounced the reported rape and sexual violence against girls and women by Hamas militants following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling on the world to condemn such conduct “without equivocation” and “without exception.”
Speaking at a campaign fundraiser in Boston, Biden noted that in recent weeks female survivors and witnesses to the attacks have shared “horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty.
“Reports of women raped — repeatedly raped — and their bodies being mutilated while still alive — of women corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them,” Biden said. “It is appalling.”
Israel has said it is investigating several cases of sexual assault and rape from the Hamas attack. Witnesses and medical experts have said that Hamas militants committed a series of rapes and other attacks before killing the victims in the Oct. 7 attack, though the extent of the sexual violence remains unknown.
Experts have been piecing together evidence in recent weeks in a case that is complicated because there are no known victims to testify and limited forensic evidence.
Biden’s comments came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has sought to put greater focus on the sexual violence it says Hamas committed during the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people on Israeli soil and led to another 240 being taken hostage. Some recently released hostages have shared testimonies of sexual violence and abuse during their time in Gaza.
Hamas has denied that militants committed sexual assaults.
Netanyahu railed against the lack of international response during a news conference on Tuesday evening.
“I say to the women’s rights organizations, to the human rights organizations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation — where the hell are you?” asked Netanyahu.
Israel hosted a special event at the United Nations on Monday where former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg were among those who criticized what they called a global failure to support women who were raped, sexually assaulted and in some cases killed.
The comments from Biden came a day after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the militants’ alleged assaults on women “reprehensible.”
Jean-Pierre, who underscored that she was speaking on behalf of the president, was responding to a question about comments made by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a California Democrat, during a CNN interview in which she responded to a question about rape by Palestinian militants by saying, “I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians, 15,000 Palestinians have been killed.” Jayapal later issued a statement clarifying that she “unequivocally” condemns “Hamas’ use of rape and sexual violence as an act of war.”
As a senator, Biden was the author of the Violence Against Women Act, which was signed into law in 1994. He referenced his work on the issue as a lawmaker as he spoke out against the allegations of sexual violence by Hamas.
“The world can’t just look away at what’s going on,” Biden told donors. He added, “It’s on all of us — government, international organizations, civil society and businesses — to forcefully condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation. Without equivocation, without exception.”
— Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington and Melanie Lidman from Jerusalem
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Darlene Superville
Published Dec 05, 2023 • 3 minute read
BOSTON — U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully denounced the reported rape and sexual violence against girls and women by Hamas militants following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling on the world to condemn such conduct “without equivocation” and “without exception.”
Speaking at a campaign fundraiser in Boston, Biden noted that in recent weeks female survivors and witnesses to the attacks have shared “horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty.
“Reports of women raped — repeatedly raped — and their bodies being mutilated while still alive — of women corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them,” Biden said. “It is appalling.”
Israel has said it is investigating several cases of sexual assault and rape from the Hamas attack. Witnesses and medical experts have said that Hamas militants committed a series of rapes and other attacks before killing the victims in the Oct. 7 attack, though the extent of the sexual violence remains unknown.
Experts have been piecing together evidence in recent weeks in a case that is complicated because there are no known victims to testify and limited forensic evidence.
Biden’s comments came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has sought to put greater focus on the sexual violence it says Hamas committed during the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people on Israeli soil and led to another 240 being taken hostage. Some recently released hostages have shared testimonies of sexual violence and abuse during their time in Gaza.
Hamas has denied that militants committed sexual assaults.
Netanyahu railed against the lack of international response during a news conference on Tuesday evening.
“I say to the women’s rights organizations, to the human rights organizations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation — where the hell are you?” asked Netanyahu.
Israel hosted a special event at the United Nations on Monday where former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg were among those who criticized what they called a global failure to support women who were raped, sexually assaulted and in some cases killed.
The comments from Biden came a day after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the militants’ alleged assaults on women “reprehensible.”
Jean-Pierre, who underscored that she was speaking on behalf of the president, was responding to a question about comments made by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a California Democrat, during a CNN interview in which she responded to a question about rape by Palestinian militants by saying, “I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians, 15,000 Palestinians have been killed.” Jayapal later issued a statement clarifying that she “unequivocally” condemns “Hamas’ use of rape and sexual violence as an act of war.”
As a senator, Biden was the author of the Violence Against Women Act, which was signed into law in 1994. He referenced his work on the issue as a lawmaker as he spoke out against the allegations of sexual violence by Hamas.
“The world can’t just look away at what’s going on,” Biden told donors. He added, “It’s on all of us — government, international organizations, civil society and businesses — to forcefully condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation. Without equivocation, without exception.”
— Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington and Melanie Lidman from Jerusalem
Reports of Hamas raping female Israeli hostages ’appalling,’ Biden says
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully denounced the reported rape and sexual violence against girls and women by Hamas militants.
Reports of Hamas raping female Israeli hostages ’appalling,’ Biden says
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Darlene Superville
Published Dec 05, 2023 • 3 minute read
BOSTON — U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully denounced the reported rape and sexual violence against girls and women by Hamas militants following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, calling on the world to condemn such conduct “without equivocation” and “without exception.”
Speaking at a campaign fundraiser in Boston, Biden noted that in recent weeks female survivors and witnesses to the attacks have shared “horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty.
“Reports of women raped — repeatedly raped — and their bodies being mutilated while still alive — of women corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them,” Biden said. “It is appalling.”
Israel has said it is investigating several cases of sexual assault and rape from the Hamas attack. Witnesses and medical experts have said that Hamas militants committed a series of rapes and other attacks before killing the victims in the Oct. 7 attack, though the extent of the sexual violence remains unknown.
Experts have been piecing together evidence in recent weeks in a case that is complicated because there are no known victims to testify and limited forensic evidence.
Biden’s comments came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has sought to put greater focus on the sexual violence it says Hamas committed during the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people on Israeli soil and led to another 240 being taken hostage. Some recently released hostages have shared testimonies of sexual violence and abuse during their time in Gaza.
Hamas has denied that militants committed sexual assaults.
Netanyahu railed against the lack of international response during a news conference on Tuesday evening.
“I say to the women’s rights organizations, to the human rights organizations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation — where the hell are you?” asked Netanyahu.
Israel hosted a special event at the United Nations on Monday where former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg were among those who criticized what they called a global failure to support women who were raped, sexually assaulted and in some cases killed.
The comments from Biden came a day after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the militants’ alleged assaults on women “reprehensible.”
Jean-Pierre, who underscored that she was speaking on behalf of the president, was responding to a question about comments made by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a California Democrat, during a CNN interview in which she responded to a question about rape by Palestinian militants by saying, “I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians, 15,000 Palestinians have been killed.” Jayapal later issued a statement clarifying that she “unequivocally” condemns “Hamas’ use of rape and sexual violence as an act of war.”
As a senator, Biden was the author of the Violence Against Women Act, which was signed into law in 1994. He referenced his work on the issue as a lawmaker as he spoke out against the allegations of sexual violence by Hamas.
“The world can’t just look away at what’s going on,” Biden told donors. He added, “It’s on all of us — government, international organizations, civil society and businesses — to forcefully condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without equivocation. Without equivocation, without exception.”
— Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington and Melanie Lidman from Jerusalem
Reports of Hamas raping female Israeli hostages ’appalling,’ Biden says
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday forcefully denounced the reported rape and sexual violence against girls and women by Hamas militants.
Well apparently it's not enough for Netanyahu to actually do more than just wipe Gaza off the map, so...
Maybe Hamas and their Russian Wagner buddies should give the nuke base server back?
That would help.
It's cool you support Russia and Islam
New signs emerge of ’widespread’ sexual crimes by Hamas, as Netanyahu alleges global indifference
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sam Mednick
Published Dec 06, 2023 • 6 minute read
At least 260 Israeli festivalgoers were killed during the attack. Israeli officials say victim testimony and evidence gathered by rights groups indicate that Hamas militants carried out widespread sexual and gender-based crimes during their Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel.
JERUSALEM (AP) — A man hiding in a pit during the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on an outdoor music festival in Israel said he heard someone nearby screaming she was being raped. Elsewhere in the area, a combat paramedic saw the body of a young woman with her legs open, her pants pulled down, and what looked like semen on her lower back. An army reservist who was tasked with identifying those killed by the militants said some of the women were found wearing only bloodied underwear.
Such accounts given to The Associated Press, along with first assessments by an Israeli rights group, show that sexual assault was part of an atrocities-filled rampage by Hamas and other Gaza militants who killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 240 hostages that day.
While investigators are still trying to determine the scope of the sexual assaults, Israel’s government is accusing the international community, particularly the United Nations, of ignoring the pain of Israeli victims.
“I say to the women’s rights organizations, to the human rights organizations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation — where the hell are you?” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference Tuesday, switching to English to emphasize the point.
U.S. President Joe Biden called the reports of sexual violence “appalling” and urged the world to condemn “horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty.”
Two months after the Hamas attacks on the music festival, farming communities and army posts in southern Israel, police are still struggling to put together the pieces.
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, priority was given to identifying bodies, not to preserving evidence. Police say they’re combing through 60,000 videos seized from the body cameras of Hamas attackers, from social media and from security cameras as well as 1,000 testimonies to bring the perpetrators to justice. It has been difficult finding rape survivors, with many victims killed by their attackers.
The group Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which has a record of advocating for Palestinian civilians in Gaza suffering under Israel’s longtime blockade of the territory, published an initial assessment in November.
“What we know for sure is that it was more than just one case and it was widespread, in that this happened in more than one location and more than a handful of times,” Hadas Ziv, policy and ethics director for the organization, said Tuesday. “What we don’t know and what the police are investigating is whether it was ordered to be done and whether it was systematic.”
Hamas has rejected allegations that its gunmen committed sexual assault.
‘THEY’RE RAPING ME’
Ron Freger fled the music festival when Hamas attacked and said he heard a woman screaming for help. “I was lying in a pit (and) I heard (a girl) yelling: ‘They’re raping me, they’re raping me!”‘ he told the AP.
Several minutes later, he heard gunshots close by and she fell silent, he said. “The feeling in that moment is one of complete powerlessness. I’m lying in this hole and I have no ability to do anything. I have no weapon, I have nothing, I’m surrounded by other people who are hiding with me and we’re completely powerless,” said the 23-year-old from the northern Israeli town of Netanya.
Last month, Israel’s police chief presented to the international news media videotaped testimony of a rape witness at the music festival. Her face blurred, she said she watched militants gang-rape a woman as she lay on the ground. The men then stood her up as blood trickled from her back, yanked her hair and sliced her breast, playing with it as they assaulted her. The last man shot her in the head while he was still inside her. The woman in the video described watching the militants as she pretended to be dead.
“I couldn’t understand what I saw,” she said.
A combat medic told the AP that he came across half a dozen bodies of women and men with possible signs of sexual assault when he reached one of the attacked communities.
One girl had been shot in the head and was lying on the floor, her legs open and pants pulled down, with what looked like semen on her lower back, said the medic who spoke on condition of anonymity because his unit was classified. Other bodies had mass bleeding around the groin with limbs at distorted angles, he said.
At the Shura military base where victims are being identified, Shari Mendes, a member of the army reserve unit that deals with the identification and religious burial preparation of female soldiers, said some of the women’s bodies came in with little clothing, such as parts of their pajamas. Some only had bloodied underwear.
‘WIDESPREAD’ CRIMES
Based on open-source information and interviews, the Physicians for Human Rights Israel report documents incidents at the music festival, homes around the Gaza Strip and an Israeli military base, all attacked by Hamas.
“It is becoming more apparent that the violence perpetrated against women, men and children also included widespread sexual and gender-based crimes,” it says.
Before this war, Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction, wasn’t known to use rape as a weapon, said Colin P. Clarke, director of research at The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security consulting firm. Its tactics included suicide bombings and shooting attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
A country like Israel should have the means to do rigorous testing to confirm if people were sexually assaulted in a more systematic way, said Nidhi Kapur, a specialist on sexual abuse in situations of armed conflict.
“Forensic testing should have been a priority to build a full picture of the attack,” said Kapur, who has worked in the region. “In a conflict you first take care of the survivors, you don’t count bodies.”
On Tuesday, Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet held a tense and emotional meeting with recently released hostages and family members of hostages still held in Gaza. Some of the recently released hostages shared testimonies of sexual abuse during their time in Gaza, participants said.
Separately, a doctor who treated some of the 110 released hostages told the AP that at least 10 men and women among those freed were sexually assaulted or abused, but did not provide further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity to protect the hostages’ identities.
According to the Israeli military, 138 hostages, including 15 women, are still held by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a military spokesman, said the army is “absolutely” concerned about sexual violence against female hostages.
FAILURE TO SUPPORT WOMEN
On Monday, Israel hosted a special event at the United Nations, where former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and top technology executive Sheryl Sandberg were among those who criticized what they called a global failure to support women who were sexually assaulted and in some cases killed.
But some groups say Israel isn’t making it easy to investigate.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said it requested access to Israel and the Palestinian territories to allow it to collect information from the events that took place on Oct. 7 and 8, and since then, but Israel has not responded to its requests, said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office.
Israel says the office has preexisting biases against Israel and it will not cooperate with the body. Israeli officials said they would consider all options for independent international mechanisms to investigate.
Rights experts say the United Nations is best placed to conduct a fair, credible and impartial investigation.
“These accounts are horrifying and deserve an urgent, thorough, and credible investigation,” said Heather Barr, associate director for the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sam Mednick
Published Dec 06, 2023 • 6 minute read
At least 260 Israeli festivalgoers were killed during the attack. Israeli officials say victim testimony and evidence gathered by rights groups indicate that Hamas militants carried out widespread sexual and gender-based crimes during their Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel.
JERUSALEM (AP) — A man hiding in a pit during the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on an outdoor music festival in Israel said he heard someone nearby screaming she was being raped. Elsewhere in the area, a combat paramedic saw the body of a young woman with her legs open, her pants pulled down, and what looked like semen on her lower back. An army reservist who was tasked with identifying those killed by the militants said some of the women were found wearing only bloodied underwear.
Such accounts given to The Associated Press, along with first assessments by an Israeli rights group, show that sexual assault was part of an atrocities-filled rampage by Hamas and other Gaza militants who killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 240 hostages that day.
While investigators are still trying to determine the scope of the sexual assaults, Israel’s government is accusing the international community, particularly the United Nations, of ignoring the pain of Israeli victims.
“I say to the women’s rights organizations, to the human rights organizations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation — where the hell are you?” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference Tuesday, switching to English to emphasize the point.
U.S. President Joe Biden called the reports of sexual violence “appalling” and urged the world to condemn “horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty.”
Two months after the Hamas attacks on the music festival, farming communities and army posts in southern Israel, police are still struggling to put together the pieces.
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, priority was given to identifying bodies, not to preserving evidence. Police say they’re combing through 60,000 videos seized from the body cameras of Hamas attackers, from social media and from security cameras as well as 1,000 testimonies to bring the perpetrators to justice. It has been difficult finding rape survivors, with many victims killed by their attackers.
The group Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which has a record of advocating for Palestinian civilians in Gaza suffering under Israel’s longtime blockade of the territory, published an initial assessment in November.
“What we know for sure is that it was more than just one case and it was widespread, in that this happened in more than one location and more than a handful of times,” Hadas Ziv, policy and ethics director for the organization, said Tuesday. “What we don’t know and what the police are investigating is whether it was ordered to be done and whether it was systematic.”
Hamas has rejected allegations that its gunmen committed sexual assault.
‘THEY’RE RAPING ME’
Ron Freger fled the music festival when Hamas attacked and said he heard a woman screaming for help. “I was lying in a pit (and) I heard (a girl) yelling: ‘They’re raping me, they’re raping me!”‘ he told the AP.
Several minutes later, he heard gunshots close by and she fell silent, he said. “The feeling in that moment is one of complete powerlessness. I’m lying in this hole and I have no ability to do anything. I have no weapon, I have nothing, I’m surrounded by other people who are hiding with me and we’re completely powerless,” said the 23-year-old from the northern Israeli town of Netanya.
Last month, Israel’s police chief presented to the international news media videotaped testimony of a rape witness at the music festival. Her face blurred, she said she watched militants gang-rape a woman as she lay on the ground. The men then stood her up as blood trickled from her back, yanked her hair and sliced her breast, playing with it as they assaulted her. The last man shot her in the head while he was still inside her. The woman in the video described watching the militants as she pretended to be dead.
“I couldn’t understand what I saw,” she said.
A combat medic told the AP that he came across half a dozen bodies of women and men with possible signs of sexual assault when he reached one of the attacked communities.
One girl had been shot in the head and was lying on the floor, her legs open and pants pulled down, with what looked like semen on her lower back, said the medic who spoke on condition of anonymity because his unit was classified. Other bodies had mass bleeding around the groin with limbs at distorted angles, he said.
At the Shura military base where victims are being identified, Shari Mendes, a member of the army reserve unit that deals with the identification and religious burial preparation of female soldiers, said some of the women’s bodies came in with little clothing, such as parts of their pajamas. Some only had bloodied underwear.
‘WIDESPREAD’ CRIMES
Based on open-source information and interviews, the Physicians for Human Rights Israel report documents incidents at the music festival, homes around the Gaza Strip and an Israeli military base, all attacked by Hamas.
“It is becoming more apparent that the violence perpetrated against women, men and children also included widespread sexual and gender-based crimes,” it says.
Before this war, Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction, wasn’t known to use rape as a weapon, said Colin P. Clarke, director of research at The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security consulting firm. Its tactics included suicide bombings and shooting attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
A country like Israel should have the means to do rigorous testing to confirm if people were sexually assaulted in a more systematic way, said Nidhi Kapur, a specialist on sexual abuse in situations of armed conflict.
“Forensic testing should have been a priority to build a full picture of the attack,” said Kapur, who has worked in the region. “In a conflict you first take care of the survivors, you don’t count bodies.”
On Tuesday, Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet held a tense and emotional meeting with recently released hostages and family members of hostages still held in Gaza. Some of the recently released hostages shared testimonies of sexual abuse during their time in Gaza, participants said.
Separately, a doctor who treated some of the 110 released hostages told the AP that at least 10 men and women among those freed were sexually assaulted or abused, but did not provide further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity to protect the hostages’ identities.
According to the Israeli military, 138 hostages, including 15 women, are still held by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a military spokesman, said the army is “absolutely” concerned about sexual violence against female hostages.
FAILURE TO SUPPORT WOMEN
On Monday, Israel hosted a special event at the United Nations, where former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and top technology executive Sheryl Sandberg were among those who criticized what they called a global failure to support women who were sexually assaulted and in some cases killed.
But some groups say Israel isn’t making it easy to investigate.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said it requested access to Israel and the Palestinian territories to allow it to collect information from the events that took place on Oct. 7 and 8, and since then, but Israel has not responded to its requests, said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office.
Israel says the office has preexisting biases against Israel and it will not cooperate with the body. Israeli officials said they would consider all options for independent international mechanisms to investigate.
Rights experts say the United Nations is best placed to conduct a fair, credible and impartial investigation.
“These accounts are horrifying and deserve an urgent, thorough, and credible investigation,” said Heather Barr, associate director for the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch.
New signs emerge of ’widespread’ sexual crimes by Hamas, as Netanyahu alleges global indifference
This comes as Netanyahu alleges global indifference.
CTV issues apology after war footage airs during Hanukkah story
'Technical glitch to blame,' company says
Author of the article
ostmedia News
Published Dec 07, 2023 • 1 minute read
CTV News Toronto issued an on-air apology on Thursday after war scenes were shown during a noon-hour news story highlighting the opening night of Hanukkah at Mel Lastman Square.
The company blamed a “technical glitch” for the footage being aired.
“We mistakenly aired images of the war in the Middle East while reporting on the beginning of Hanukkah,” CTV News’ Zuraidah Alman said in the apology, which was also posted online. “We are deeply sorry that this occurred during our coverage of this important and special event.”
Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a deadly conflict following an Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack.
review.bellmedia.ca
torontosun.com
'Technical glitch to blame,' company says
Author of the article
ostmedia NewsPublished Dec 07, 2023 • 1 minute read
CTV News Toronto issued an on-air apology on Thursday after war scenes were shown during a noon-hour news story highlighting the opening night of Hanukkah at Mel Lastman Square.
The company blamed a “technical glitch” for the footage being aired.
“We mistakenly aired images of the war in the Middle East while reporting on the beginning of Hanukkah,” CTV News’ Zuraidah Alman said in the apology, which was also posted online. “We are deeply sorry that this occurred during our coverage of this important and special event.”
Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a deadly conflict following an Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack.
Bell Media Review
review.bellmedia.ca
CTV issues apology after war footage airs during Hanukkah story
CTV News Toronto issued an on-air apology on Thursday after war scenes were shown during a noon-hour news story highlighting Hanukkah.
War footage in CTV's Hanukkah story feels 'deliberate' to some
Network blames incident on technical glitch, issues apology on air
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Dec 07, 2023 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Footage from the Israel-Hamas war.
Footage from the Israel-Hamas war was included in a CTV report on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, on a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto. The network blamed the inclusion of the footage on a technical glitch.
Is there something strange in the air at CTV?
Are their airwaves being hacked? Is somebody sabotaging their broadcast equipment and TelePrompTers? Is it payback for a CTV News Halifax writer and production assistant being fired? Could shadowy operatives gain access to CTV computers, wanting to make Canada’s Jewish community look bad?
Those were some of the theories people were coming up with on Thursday night.
Needless to say, there are many unanswered questions as the national network has once again stepped into the deep end of controversy with its bizarre choice of narratives and videos that some Jewish people feel are designed to make them look like warmongers when they are, in fact, the victims of both war and terror.
First, CTV reported this week that Jewish people were on Parliament Hill Monday to “support” war and Thursday outraged the community again by showing B-roll of gruesome war footage over what was supposed to be a live hit covering the first night of Hanukkah at Mel Lastman Square.
“What is this, CTV Toronto?” asked B’nai Brith Canada in a comment on X.
In the suppertime newscast, anchor Zuraidah Alman took to the airwaves to issue an apology for what she said was a technical glitch. The apology was appreciated. But people are still suspicious and curious. Could somebody slip narratives into copy read on TelePrompTers or feed in unintended video?
“I feel there was a deliberate sabotage act on Hanukkah,” said Olga Goldberg, who was in Ottawa and was attending Thursday’s opening night of the menorah lighting. Goldberg added that it felt like the video was “intentionally placed” to further demonize Jewish people in the eyes of the public.
For now, what we know is this was the second instance of bizarre coverage toward the Jewish community this week.
As well-noted in Ottawa, people were very upset with national anchor Omar Sachedina, who said “in Ottawa, thousands of Jewish Canadians rallied on Parliament Hill in support of the war while inside Parliament, Palestinian Canadians made a plea for help” in setting up CTV reporter Judy Trinh’s story.
Sachedina’s words drew anger from members of the Jewish community who said they rode buses to Ottawa in solidarity with hostages taken by Hamas and in prayers for peace — and not to glorify Israel being forced into war as a result of the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 that saw 1,200 innocent people slaughtered and another 240 kidnapped.
CTV National News did not comment on the unfortunate wording or offer a correction, clarification or apology, as CTV did this time in Toronto.
During the first airing of the story Thursday, what began as live footage showing reporter Allison Hurst setting up the first candle-lighting of the menorah turned into footage showing bombing and shooting scenes and wounded or dead people in both Israel and Palestine being carried like rag dolls amid scenes of mayhem and carnage.
Anchor Michelle Dube acknowledged on air that there was a “technical” issue. It was a doozy and people are calling for an explanation.
“If the accidental footage was of candles or puppies, then people may not have minded as much,” said one Jewish person, adding things changed in the past two months in terms of how the community is being treated and how they react to anti-Semitism, which is on display every day. “A lot of people worry that this was intentional to make Jews in Toronto, who have nothing to do with the fighting, look bad.”
But to do it on the first day of Hanukkah is something B’nai Brith is taking issue with.
“Is there no time delay for broadcasts? Which employee made the editorial decision to link the war against Hamas in Gaza to the Jewish holiday of Chanukah?” asked B’nai Brith on X. “Please explain why anyone should believe this was not a premeditated act of #antisemitism?”
CTV has not yet explained any of that and when the Toronto Sun asked for a comment, a spokesperson pointed to its on-air apology. But they did say they were sorry.
Meanwhile, many will be watching closely to see just what broadcast glitch happens next.
torontosun.com
Network blames incident on technical glitch, issues apology on air
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Dec 07, 2023 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Footage from the Israel-Hamas war.
Footage from the Israel-Hamas war was included in a CTV report on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, on a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto. The network blamed the inclusion of the footage on a technical glitch.
Is there something strange in the air at CTV?
Are their airwaves being hacked? Is somebody sabotaging their broadcast equipment and TelePrompTers? Is it payback for a CTV News Halifax writer and production assistant being fired? Could shadowy operatives gain access to CTV computers, wanting to make Canada’s Jewish community look bad?
Those were some of the theories people were coming up with on Thursday night.
Needless to say, there are many unanswered questions as the national network has once again stepped into the deep end of controversy with its bizarre choice of narratives and videos that some Jewish people feel are designed to make them look like warmongers when they are, in fact, the victims of both war and terror.
First, CTV reported this week that Jewish people were on Parliament Hill Monday to “support” war and Thursday outraged the community again by showing B-roll of gruesome war footage over what was supposed to be a live hit covering the first night of Hanukkah at Mel Lastman Square.
“What is this, CTV Toronto?” asked B’nai Brith Canada in a comment on X.
In the suppertime newscast, anchor Zuraidah Alman took to the airwaves to issue an apology for what she said was a technical glitch. The apology was appreciated. But people are still suspicious and curious. Could somebody slip narratives into copy read on TelePrompTers or feed in unintended video?
“I feel there was a deliberate sabotage act on Hanukkah,” said Olga Goldberg, who was in Ottawa and was attending Thursday’s opening night of the menorah lighting. Goldberg added that it felt like the video was “intentionally placed” to further demonize Jewish people in the eyes of the public.
For now, what we know is this was the second instance of bizarre coverage toward the Jewish community this week.
As well-noted in Ottawa, people were very upset with national anchor Omar Sachedina, who said “in Ottawa, thousands of Jewish Canadians rallied on Parliament Hill in support of the war while inside Parliament, Palestinian Canadians made a plea for help” in setting up CTV reporter Judy Trinh’s story.
Sachedina’s words drew anger from members of the Jewish community who said they rode buses to Ottawa in solidarity with hostages taken by Hamas and in prayers for peace — and not to glorify Israel being forced into war as a result of the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 that saw 1,200 innocent people slaughtered and another 240 kidnapped.
CTV National News did not comment on the unfortunate wording or offer a correction, clarification or apology, as CTV did this time in Toronto.
During the first airing of the story Thursday, what began as live footage showing reporter Allison Hurst setting up the first candle-lighting of the menorah turned into footage showing bombing and shooting scenes and wounded or dead people in both Israel and Palestine being carried like rag dolls amid scenes of mayhem and carnage.
Anchor Michelle Dube acknowledged on air that there was a “technical” issue. It was a doozy and people are calling for an explanation.
“If the accidental footage was of candles or puppies, then people may not have minded as much,” said one Jewish person, adding things changed in the past two months in terms of how the community is being treated and how they react to anti-Semitism, which is on display every day. “A lot of people worry that this was intentional to make Jews in Toronto, who have nothing to do with the fighting, look bad.”
But to do it on the first day of Hanukkah is something B’nai Brith is taking issue with.
“Is there no time delay for broadcasts? Which employee made the editorial decision to link the war against Hamas in Gaza to the Jewish holiday of Chanukah?” asked B’nai Brith on X. “Please explain why anyone should believe this was not a premeditated act of #antisemitism?”
CTV has not yet explained any of that and when the Toronto Sun asked for a comment, a spokesperson pointed to its on-air apology. But they did say they were sorry.
Meanwhile, many will be watching closely to see just what broadcast glitch happens next.
WARMINGTON: War footage in CTV's Hanukkah story feels 'deliberate' to some
There are many unanswered questions as the network has once again stepped into the deep end of controversy over the Israel-Hamas war.
CTV has a problem covering the Israel-Hamas war
Are honest mistakes being made or are some inside CTV News pushing an agenda for the Palestinian side on their news programming?
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Dec 08, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Bell Media is having a very public problem covering one of the biggest stories in the world right now – the war between Israel and Hamas.
They aren’t the only media outlet struggling with this issue and facing internal divisions, but they are in the spotlight this week.
A trio of problems has caused this.
On Monday, Omar Sachedina introduced a story in a horrible way while on Thursday, CTV Toronto aired footage of the war as a reporter was talking about a menorah lighting in the city.
Internally, there has been pushback over a memo reminding news staff that to be accurate, the war is happening in Gaza, not Palestine, a reminder that did not sit well with some newsroom staff.
It’s all leading to questions inside and outside of the company as to whether there is a problem. Are these honest mistakes or are some inside CTV News pushing an agenda for the Palestinian side on their news programming?
Clearly, if some believe the newscasts should refer to Palestine instead of Gaza, that would be agenda driven.
Purely from an accuracy standpoint, the war is happening in Gaza or the Gaza Strip, there is legally no place called Palestine and if you want to refer to the entire area from Gaza to the West Bank and Israel as Palestine then you are taking sides, not something CTV wants to be doing.
As for Sachedina’s description of the rally in support of Israel in Ottawa on Monday, it’s a problem no matter how you slice it.
“In Ottawa, thousands of Jewish Canadians rallied on Parliament Hill in support of the war while inside Parliament, Palestinian Canadians made a plea for help,” Sachedina said.
That introduction didn’t match the story that followed, and the rally was not in support of the war, it was in support of Israel and calling for the hostages to be released by Hamas.
All of this leads to several questions.
Was this a badly written intro? Did Sachedina see this ahead of time and think nothing of it? Or, as one person has been saying to me since, was someone in Sachedina’s prompter, meaning they changed the script after it was approved?
Speaking to a source at CTV News who would know, they admit the script was badly written and that it could have been handled better but also point to the comments of some of the people quoted in the story to back it up.
That’s questionable to say the least – it’s not a real reflection of the rally, but most of all it hurts their star anchor.
After the Lisa LaFlamme departure, CTV News and Bell Media have invested a lot of time, effort and money to win back trust, including in their lead anchor. This incident hurts Sachedina’s credibility at a time when the network can ill afford that.
Finally, the CTV Toronto incident was just abhorrent.
As CTV reporter Allison Hurst was describing what would be happening at a Thursday evening menorah lighting ceremony at Mel Lastman Square, the video switched from showing the preparations for the event to images of the war in Gaza. From menorahs to explosions, soldiers firing machine guns and injured Palestinian children being rushed to medical care.
Then, suddenly, a shift to a clip of Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman saying, “That’s really what Chanukah is all about.”
The incident made Hurst, along with anchors Michelle Dubé and Nathan Downer, look horrible even though they had nothing to do with the images, they were just the faces on the screen.
CTV Toronto apologized for the incident during their 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, albeit late into the show. They claimed it was a technical glitch that resulted in the wayward images being shown, which is a tough claim to swallow.
The explanation is that images meant for another story began running at the same time as the reporter’s microphone was having problems and the control room was trying to fix the mic problem and not paying attention to the images.
It’s feasible, but if true, it doesn’t make CTV look good. The network has had a bad week and needs to clean up its act.
blilley@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Are honest mistakes being made or are some inside CTV News pushing an agenda for the Palestinian side on their news programming?
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Dec 08, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Bell Media is having a very public problem covering one of the biggest stories in the world right now – the war between Israel and Hamas.
They aren’t the only media outlet struggling with this issue and facing internal divisions, but they are in the spotlight this week.
A trio of problems has caused this.
On Monday, Omar Sachedina introduced a story in a horrible way while on Thursday, CTV Toronto aired footage of the war as a reporter was talking about a menorah lighting in the city.
Internally, there has been pushback over a memo reminding news staff that to be accurate, the war is happening in Gaza, not Palestine, a reminder that did not sit well with some newsroom staff.
It’s all leading to questions inside and outside of the company as to whether there is a problem. Are these honest mistakes or are some inside CTV News pushing an agenda for the Palestinian side on their news programming?
Clearly, if some believe the newscasts should refer to Palestine instead of Gaza, that would be agenda driven.
Purely from an accuracy standpoint, the war is happening in Gaza or the Gaza Strip, there is legally no place called Palestine and if you want to refer to the entire area from Gaza to the West Bank and Israel as Palestine then you are taking sides, not something CTV wants to be doing.
As for Sachedina’s description of the rally in support of Israel in Ottawa on Monday, it’s a problem no matter how you slice it.
“In Ottawa, thousands of Jewish Canadians rallied on Parliament Hill in support of the war while inside Parliament, Palestinian Canadians made a plea for help,” Sachedina said.
That introduction didn’t match the story that followed, and the rally was not in support of the war, it was in support of Israel and calling for the hostages to be released by Hamas.
All of this leads to several questions.
Was this a badly written intro? Did Sachedina see this ahead of time and think nothing of it? Or, as one person has been saying to me since, was someone in Sachedina’s prompter, meaning they changed the script after it was approved?
Speaking to a source at CTV News who would know, they admit the script was badly written and that it could have been handled better but also point to the comments of some of the people quoted in the story to back it up.
That’s questionable to say the least – it’s not a real reflection of the rally, but most of all it hurts their star anchor.
After the Lisa LaFlamme departure, CTV News and Bell Media have invested a lot of time, effort and money to win back trust, including in their lead anchor. This incident hurts Sachedina’s credibility at a time when the network can ill afford that.
Finally, the CTV Toronto incident was just abhorrent.
As CTV reporter Allison Hurst was describing what would be happening at a Thursday evening menorah lighting ceremony at Mel Lastman Square, the video switched from showing the preparations for the event to images of the war in Gaza. From menorahs to explosions, soldiers firing machine guns and injured Palestinian children being rushed to medical care.
Then, suddenly, a shift to a clip of Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman saying, “That’s really what Chanukah is all about.”
The incident made Hurst, along with anchors Michelle Dubé and Nathan Downer, look horrible even though they had nothing to do with the images, they were just the faces on the screen.
CTV Toronto apologized for the incident during their 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, albeit late into the show. They claimed it was a technical glitch that resulted in the wayward images being shown, which is a tough claim to swallow.
The explanation is that images meant for another story began running at the same time as the reporter’s microphone was having problems and the control room was trying to fix the mic problem and not paying attention to the images.
It’s feasible, but if true, it doesn’t make CTV look good. The network has had a bad week and needs to clean up its act.
blilley@postmedia.com
LILLEY: CTV has a problem covering the Israel-Hamas war
Canada's most watched network for news has a series of problems over the last few weeks that need to be fixed.
Melanie Joly condemns Hamas rapes of Israeli women after weeks of pressure
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Dec 07, 2023 • Last updated 2 days ago • 1 minute read
OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is condemning sexual violence committed by Hamas during its attack on Israel, after weeks of pressure to speak out.
On the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Joly says Canada strongly condemns gender-based violence, “including rape, perpetrated by Hamas against women in Israel.”
The Conservatives have been asking the government to condemn sexual violence by Hamas for weeks, with MP Michelle Rempel Garner saying that condemning violence in general isn’t enough.
In Edmonton, the University of Alberta replaced the head of its sexual assault centre for endorsing an open letter that questioned the validity of sexual assault claims against Hamas.
In Israel, women’s organizations have been calling on the international community to speak out, and the government has recently criticized foreign governments for not doing so.
Yet police in Israel are still investigating what happened two months ago, after officials prioritized identifying bodies instead of preserving evidence, according to The Associated Press.
Officials say they have found it difficult to find rape survivors because many of the people believed to be victims of such acts were killed by their attackers.
Canada’s envoy for combatting antisemitism says questioning reports of Hamas militants raping Israeli women is an anti-Jewish act.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Dec 07, 2023 • Last updated 2 days ago • 1 minute read
OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is condemning sexual violence committed by Hamas during its attack on Israel, after weeks of pressure to speak out.
On the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Joly says Canada strongly condemns gender-based violence, “including rape, perpetrated by Hamas against women in Israel.”
The Conservatives have been asking the government to condemn sexual violence by Hamas for weeks, with MP Michelle Rempel Garner saying that condemning violence in general isn’t enough.
In Edmonton, the University of Alberta replaced the head of its sexual assault centre for endorsing an open letter that questioned the validity of sexual assault claims against Hamas.
In Israel, women’s organizations have been calling on the international community to speak out, and the government has recently criticized foreign governments for not doing so.
Yet police in Israel are still investigating what happened two months ago, after officials prioritized identifying bodies instead of preserving evidence, according to The Associated Press.
Officials say they have found it difficult to find rape survivors because many of the people believed to be victims of such acts were killed by their attackers.
Canada’s envoy for combatting antisemitism says questioning reports of Hamas militants raping Israeli women is an anti-Jewish act.
Melanie Joly condemns Hamas rapes of Israeli women after weeks of pressure
The Conservatives have been asking the government to condemn sexual violence by Hamas for weeks
Hamas inflicted 'the ultimate violation' on Israeli women and girls
And the rape, torture and sexual violence committed on Oct. 7 is ongoing
Author of the article:Warren Kinsella
Published Dec 09, 2023 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 4 minute read
Ehrlich Anthony Coker was rapist.
He was a murderer and thief, too. While serving three life sentences at the Ware Correctional Institution in Waycross, Georgia, Coker escaped.
On that same night, Coker broke into the home of Allen and Elnita Carver and held the couple hostage. He raped Elnita, and then took her with him, using the couple’s car. Elnita got free, and the police re-captured Ehrlich Anthony Coker.
This time, he was charged with a capital crime – rape.
In Georgia, North Carolina and Louisiana, in those days, rape was punishable by death. Coker was sentenced to death.
The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Justice Byron White wrote for the majority. White wrote that rape is a crime that shows “almost total contempt for the personal integrity and autonomy of the female victim.”
Apart from murder, rape is, White wrote, “the ultimate violation of self.”
The ultimate violation of self: that is what it is – and, as we have learned in the intervening years – it is really not just about sexual gratification.
It is, as White wrote for the highest U.S. court, an act that “inflicts mental and psychological damage.” That, oftentimes, is the rapist’s purpose, their goal: subjugation, degradation, domination.
That was the goal, too, of Hamas on Oct. 7. They slaughtered 1,151 Israelis, their government now says, and they took 240 hostage.
But Hamas also raped many of them.
At the United Nations this week, there was finally a presentation about Hamas’ use of sexual violence. CNN, which has been frequently critical of Israel’s war against Hamas, reported – as fact – that the U.N. was shown “evidence of sexual violence (that) was ample and overwhelming and came from different sources.”
Here is just a short summary of it:
“A woman was shot in the back of her head, lying on her bed, naked from her waist down. A live grenade was planted in her hand.”
“(Another woman) had nails and different objects in her female organs. Her body was brutalized in a way that (first responders) could not identify her.”
“There were girls with broken pelvis due to repetitive rapes, their legs were split wide apart.”
“We heard girls that were pulled out from the shelters. Girls that shouted. They raped girls. Burnt them just after that. All the bodies outside were burnt.”
“Several female soldiers were shot in their crotch, intimate parts, vagina, or shot in the breast. There seem to be a systematic genital mutilation of a group of victims.”
And, now, CNN reported, “dozens of hostages have been released from Gaza as part of a truce between Israel and Hamas and some have also mentioned sexual abuse during their testimonies.”
So, the rape and torture and sexual violence that happened on Oct. 7? It continues.
A few weeks ago, this writer (and others) was invited to the Israeli consulate in Toronto to see video shot by Israeli first responders and Hamas terrorists themselves. Over the course of 42 minutes, I saw 138 people killed by Hamas, or the immediate aftermath. Men, women, children and babies. Over and over and over.
We also saw something else: many, many women and girls, stripped below the waist, legs apart, their bodies bloodied and charred. We didn’t need to be told what had happened to them. We knew.
Despite that – despite all of us knowing that denying sexual assault revictimizes the victim, despite the lessons of #MeToo – some denied it all. Former Ontario NDP politician Sarah Jama denied it. So did the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre. So did a Victoria, B.C. city councillor, Susan Kim. So have others, using cowardly, slippery phrasings online.
And some have just ignored it.
It was only this week, in fact, that Canada’s own Minister of Global Affairs Melanie Joly finally issued a clear statement on the rapes and horrors of Oct. 7.
Sixty-two days after the rapes took place, Joly posted a few words on X: “Using sexual violence as a tactic of war is a crime. We strongly condemn [sexual and gender-based violence], including rape, perpetrated by Hamas against women in Israel on October 7. We believe Israeli women. Canada will always stand against #SGBV and advocate for justice for all victims.”
Except Canada didn’t strongly “advocate” for Israeli women, in that way, for many weeks. Despite being asked to do so. Despite clear evidence that “the ultimate violation” had taken place on Oct. 7.
Which leads us back to the 1977 judgment of the U.S. Supreme Court in the appeal of Ehrlich Anthony Coker. Capital punishment was too harsh a penalty for Coker, the Court ruled.
For Hamas, it isn’t.
Find them, and end them all.
torontosun.com
And the rape, torture and sexual violence committed on Oct. 7 is ongoing
Author of the article:Warren Kinsella
Published Dec 09, 2023 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 4 minute read
Ehrlich Anthony Coker was rapist.
He was a murderer and thief, too. While serving three life sentences at the Ware Correctional Institution in Waycross, Georgia, Coker escaped.
On that same night, Coker broke into the home of Allen and Elnita Carver and held the couple hostage. He raped Elnita, and then took her with him, using the couple’s car. Elnita got free, and the police re-captured Ehrlich Anthony Coker.
This time, he was charged with a capital crime – rape.
In Georgia, North Carolina and Louisiana, in those days, rape was punishable by death. Coker was sentenced to death.
The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Justice Byron White wrote for the majority. White wrote that rape is a crime that shows “almost total contempt for the personal integrity and autonomy of the female victim.”
Apart from murder, rape is, White wrote, “the ultimate violation of self.”
The ultimate violation of self: that is what it is – and, as we have learned in the intervening years – it is really not just about sexual gratification.
It is, as White wrote for the highest U.S. court, an act that “inflicts mental and psychological damage.” That, oftentimes, is the rapist’s purpose, their goal: subjugation, degradation, domination.
That was the goal, too, of Hamas on Oct. 7. They slaughtered 1,151 Israelis, their government now says, and they took 240 hostage.
But Hamas also raped many of them.
At the United Nations this week, there was finally a presentation about Hamas’ use of sexual violence. CNN, which has been frequently critical of Israel’s war against Hamas, reported – as fact – that the U.N. was shown “evidence of sexual violence (that) was ample and overwhelming and came from different sources.”
Here is just a short summary of it:
“A woman was shot in the back of her head, lying on her bed, naked from her waist down. A live grenade was planted in her hand.”
“(Another woman) had nails and different objects in her female organs. Her body was brutalized in a way that (first responders) could not identify her.”
“There were girls with broken pelvis due to repetitive rapes, their legs were split wide apart.”
“We heard girls that were pulled out from the shelters. Girls that shouted. They raped girls. Burnt them just after that. All the bodies outside were burnt.”
“Several female soldiers were shot in their crotch, intimate parts, vagina, or shot in the breast. There seem to be a systematic genital mutilation of a group of victims.”
And, now, CNN reported, “dozens of hostages have been released from Gaza as part of a truce between Israel and Hamas and some have also mentioned sexual abuse during their testimonies.”
So, the rape and torture and sexual violence that happened on Oct. 7? It continues.
A few weeks ago, this writer (and others) was invited to the Israeli consulate in Toronto to see video shot by Israeli first responders and Hamas terrorists themselves. Over the course of 42 minutes, I saw 138 people killed by Hamas, or the immediate aftermath. Men, women, children and babies. Over and over and over.
We also saw something else: many, many women and girls, stripped below the waist, legs apart, their bodies bloodied and charred. We didn’t need to be told what had happened to them. We knew.
Despite that – despite all of us knowing that denying sexual assault revictimizes the victim, despite the lessons of #MeToo – some denied it all. Former Ontario NDP politician Sarah Jama denied it. So did the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre. So did a Victoria, B.C. city councillor, Susan Kim. So have others, using cowardly, slippery phrasings online.
And some have just ignored it.
It was only this week, in fact, that Canada’s own Minister of Global Affairs Melanie Joly finally issued a clear statement on the rapes and horrors of Oct. 7.
Sixty-two days after the rapes took place, Joly posted a few words on X: “Using sexual violence as a tactic of war is a crime. We strongly condemn [sexual and gender-based violence], including rape, perpetrated by Hamas against women in Israel on October 7. We believe Israeli women. Canada will always stand against #SGBV and advocate for justice for all victims.”
Except Canada didn’t strongly “advocate” for Israeli women, in that way, for many weeks. Despite being asked to do so. Despite clear evidence that “the ultimate violation” had taken place on Oct. 7.
Which leads us back to the 1977 judgment of the U.S. Supreme Court in the appeal of Ehrlich Anthony Coker. Capital punishment was too harsh a penalty for Coker, the Court ruled.
For Hamas, it isn’t.
Find them, and end them all.
KINSELLA: Hamas inflicted 'the ultimate violation' on Israeli women and girls
Ehrlich Anthony Coker was rapist. He was a murderer and thief, too.
University Of Pennsylvania President Resigns After Disastrous Hearing On Anti-Semitism
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, facing criticism over her handling of antisemitism on campus, has submitted her resignation, as announced by...
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⚡NUCLEAR TERRORIST THREAT/ w Andrew Bustamente
The Apocalypse is a given at this point. Prepare for it here. Use discount code SURVIVALPREPPER for 10% off / Premium Survival/ Emergency Equipmenthttps://ca...
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