The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) in London welcomes the calls made by UN special rapporteurs for an independent investigation into reports of human rights violations, including rape and sexual violence, committed by Israeli occupation forces against women and girls in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

On Monday, UN experts expressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

“Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received”, said a group of UN Special Rapporteurs. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces”.

The experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October. Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten. On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food.

“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said. They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.

The experts expressed concern that an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza. “There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” they said.

The UN experts concerns dovetail PRC’s repeated calls for a serious investigation into Israeli human rights abuses. Upon more than once occasion, PRC has sounded alarm bells over the flagrant violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by Israel against Palestinians, women and children in particular.

The UN experts’ position, once again, divulges the fake and biased nature of Israeli narratives claiming the occupation of Palestine and the war on Gaza are acts of self-defense. In reality, Israel continues to turn its back on international law and relevant UN resolutions, committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories and the blockaded Gaza Strip.

PRC joins the Special Rapporteurs’ calls for an independent, impartial, prompt, thorough and effective investigation into these alleged acts, which, taken together, may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute.

Those responsible for these apparent crimes must be held accountable and victims and their families are entitled to full redress and justice.