2023-12-05 08:39:00
An American official said Monday that the renewal of the truce in Gaza has failed because the Islamist movement Hamas, suspected of rapes against female hostages and sexual violence during its assault in early October, does not want them to testify.
Israel had stopped its offensive in Gaza as part of an agreement negotiated under the aegis of Qatar and the United States providing for the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas during its bloody attack on Israeli soil on October 7.
Israeli authorities said Friday they were resuming their military offensive because Hamas had not released all the female hostages.
“It seems that one of the reasons why they don’t want to release women that they’re holding hostage and why this break has been shattered is because they don’t want these women to tell what they are told. arrived during their detention,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
Israeli police said they were investigating possible sexual violence committed on October 7 by Hamas fighters, including gang rape and mutilation of corpses.
Israeli investigators have so far collected “more than 1,500 shocking and distressing testimonies”, a police officer told the Israeli Parliament last week, referring to “girls stripped naked above and below the waist” and reporting the testimony of the gang rape, mutilation and murder of a young woman.
Hamas “rejected” these accusations, calling them “lies.”
The American spokesperson refused to provide further details, emphasizing the sensitivity of the question, but declared that the United States had “no reason to doubt” the information on sexual violence attributed to Hamas. .
“There is very little that I think Hamas is not capable of when it comes to the treatment of civilians and particularly the treatment of women,” he said.
On October 7, Hamas commandos killed 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
In addition, 240 people were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip, of whom 137 are still being held hostage, according to the Israeli army.
In retaliation, the Israeli army launched bombings on the Gaza Strip – interrupted during a week of truce – which have so far caused, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in Gaza, 15,899 deaths, or 70%. women and under 18s.
05/12/2023 07:37:15 –
Washington (AFP) –
© 2023 AFP
#Hamas #doesnt #female #hostages #testify #official