As Gaza atrocities escalate, 2 starkly contrasting developments emerge

As Gaza reels under what many now describe as a fast-accelerating genocide—with reports of entire hospitals reduced to rubble and the killing of 11 children in one such targeted facility—two consequential but contrasting developments surfaced on Wednesday, July 9.

On one side, a group of Israeli women presented the Dinah Report, detailing harrowing accounts of sexual violence committed against Israeli women during the 7 October Hamas attacks.

On the other hand, The Guardian reported that the US State Department imposed sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur Professor Francesca Albanese, who has consistently exposed what she calls the genocidal campaign waged by Israel on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

The Dinah Report

Presented by a trio of prominent Israeli women—a law professor, a former judge, and the director of the Dinah Project—the Dinah Report offers a chilling account of sexual violence allegedly committed by Hamas operatives.

According to Prof Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, who led the initiative, there are "reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) occurred during the October 7 attacks in multiple locations across Gaza’s periphery, including rape and gang rape in at least three locations.”

Speaking to journalists at Geneva’s Palais des Nations, Kaddari emphasised the need for a robust legal framework to ensure accountability for CRSV. “To seek recognition and justice for this facet of the Hamas attack, we must overcome longstanding legal challenges associated with prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence,” she stated.

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‘October 7, an extreme case’

She noted that October 7 represents an extreme case, where “the vast majority of those victims who were assaulted have been silenced forever.”

Sexual violence in war has long been a grim hallmark of armed conflicts—an institutionalised atrocity stretching from colonial times into the modern era. Yet each conflict brings new, appalling narratives of gendered violence that often emerge only years later.

While the Dinah Report justifiably calls attention to these grave violations, its authors were conspicuously silent about the plight of Palestinian women and children, thousands of whom have reportedly been killed in Gaza since October 2023. Human rights organisations estimate the death toll in Gaza may have surpassed 60,000, with hospitals and other essential infrastructure obliterated in Israeli assaults.

Humanitarian catastrophe

Asked about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza—including the systematic destruction of medical facilities—Israel’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, dismissed the question. “Israel is not, listen carefully, not committing genocide anywhere,” he told this correspondent.

He rejected the reported casualty/death figures and insisted the Dinah Report was entirely separate from Israeli state actions. “This has nothing to do with the report. These three women are not government representatives,” he said, emphasising their independence.

Kaddari also rebuffed any comparison between the Hamas attacks and Israel’s actions in Gaza. “What moral credibility do you have when you suggest an equivalence between these victims—many of whom were murdered after being sexually assaulted—and the broader violence in Gaza?” she asked. “We must look at these matters separately.”

Yet when asked whether she had any opinion on the Israeli government’s conduct in Gaza, Kaddari replied, “I do not have any credence to opine... What I claim is that we have to look at the things separately.”

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Sanctioning the messenger

While the Dinah Report sheds light on one set of atrocities, another event on the same day raised alarms about efforts to suppress scrutiny of another: the sanctioning of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese by the United States. Albanese has been one of the few high-profile international voices courageously documenting the alleged genocide and systemic human rights violations by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Having attended several of Albanese’s briefings, one can attest to her unwavering commitment to justice and accountability. She has repeatedly called on the international community to end what she terms Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Both Israel and the United States deny these accusations.

Also Read: Gaza aid guards accused of firing on Palestinians seeking food: Report

‘Genocide probe’

Israel is currently under investigation at the International Court of Justice for genocide and at the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes. Albanese’s findings and statements have been supported by leading genocide scholars and international human rights organizations.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Albanese stated she stood “firmly and convincingly on the side of justice,” though she did not explicitly reference the sanctions.

The UN Human Rights Council's Special Procedures Coordination Committee issued a strong rebuke to the US action, stating the sanctions were “not just an attack on one independent expert, but a direct assault on the UN system itself and its core values: human rights, accountability, and the rule of law.”

Solidarity with Albanese

The Committee emphasised that Albanese has been faithfully carrying out her mandate, which includes investigating Israel’s violations of international law and humanitarian principles in territories it has occupied since 1967.

Despite facing “intimidation and coordinated personal attacks—including against her family,” the Committee affirmed, “Albanese has acted in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures mandate holders.”

In a powerful closing statement, the Committee expressed solidarity with Albanese and pledged to continue their work: “We will persist—independently and with integrity—in fulfilling the mandates entrusted to us by the Human Rights Council to uphold international human rights standards.”

Mahatma Gandhi once said powerfully that in his opinion, “they (the Jews) have erred grievously in seeking to impose themselves on Palestine with the aid of America and Britain and now with the aid of naked terrorism.”