Israel has been accused by UN experts of using sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians, with claims of “genocidal acts” through the destruction of maternal and reproductive healthcare facilities. A report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council details alleged violations, including rape, in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023. The report suggests that the destruction of maternity wards and embryos at a fertility clinic may indicate a strategy to prevent births among a specific group, meeting the legal definition of genocide.
Israel has denied these allegations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing the Human Rights Council and accusing it of making false accusations. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021, conducted the investigation based on testimony from victims and witnesses, as well as evidence from verified sources.
The commission’s chair, Navi Pillay, condemned the increase in sexual and gender-based violence by Israel against Palestinians, describing it as a tactic to terrorize and oppress them. The report alleges that such violence is part of the Israeli Security Forces’ procedures toward Palestinians, with some acts carried out under orders or with encouragement from top Israeli civilian and military leaders.
Commission member Chris Sidoti stated that sexual violence has become systematic and widespread, going beyond isolated incidents. Israel has denied accusations of mistreatment and torture of Gaza detainees, asserting its commitment to international legal standards.
The commission’s report also accuses Israeli forces of systematically destroying sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities in Gaza, leading to deaths among women and girls due to lack of access to reproductive healthcare. It concludes that these actions amount to crimes against humanity, including genocide, by intentionally preventing births and destroying the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza.
The report highlights the intentional destruction of the Al-Basma IVF Centre in Gaza City, with thousands of embryos, sperm samples, and eggs reportedly destroyed. While the Israeli military denied knowledge of an attack on the clinic, the commission believes the facility was deliberately targeted. The intentional destruction of reproductive services is a violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, according to the commission.
Akibatnya adalah mencegah kelahiran.”
Dalam sebuah pernyataan, misi Israel untuk PBB di Jenewa mengatakan laporan itu “sebuah upaya tak tahu malu untuk menyalahkan [Pasukan Pertahanan Israel] dan menciptakan ilusi ‘sistemik’ penggunaan [kekerasan berbasis seksual dan gender]”.
Kritikannya terhadap apa yang disebutnya keputusan komisi untuk menggunakan “informasi dari sumber tunggal tidak terverifikasi”, yang katanya tidak konsisten dengan standar dan metodologi PBB yang mapan.
Pernyataan itu juga menekankan bahwa IDF memiliki “direktif, prosedur, perintah, dan kebijakan konkret, yang dengan tegas melarang perilaku semacam itu”, serta mekanisme untuk menyelidiki setiap insiden kekerasan seksual yang diduga.
Perdana Menteri Israel juga menolak temuan laporan dan menyebut Dewan Hak Asasi Manusia sebagai “sirkus anti-Israel”.
“Daripada fokus pada kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan dan kejahatan perang yang dilakukan oleh organisasi teroris Hamas dalam pembantaian terburuk yang dilakukan terhadap orang Yahudi sejak Holocaust, PBB lagi memilih menyerang Negara Israel dengan tuduhan palsu, termasuk tuduhan kekerasan seksual yang tak berdasar,” kata Netanyahu.
Pengadilan Internasional sedang mendengarkan kasus yang diajukan oleh Afrika Selatan yang menuduh pasukan Israel melakukan genosida terhadap Palestina di Jalur Gaza. Israel dengan tegas membantah tuduhan tersebut.
Militer Israel meluncurkan kampanye untuk menghancurkan Hamas sebagai respons terhadap serangan lintas batas yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya pada 7 Oktober 2023, di mana sekitar 1.200 orang tewas dan 251 ditawan.
Lebih dari 48.520 orang tewas di Gaza sejak saat itu, menurut kementerian kesehatan yang dikelola Hamas di wilayah tersebut.
Sebagian besar dari 2,1 juta penduduk Gaza juga telah mengungsi beberapa kali. Hampir 70% bangunan diperkirakan rusak atau hancur; sistem kesehatan, air, sanitasi, dan kebersihan telah runtuh; dan terdapat kekurangan makanan, bahan bakar, obat-obatan, dan tempat perlindungan.
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