Hadassah Leads Coalition Demanding UN Accountability for Hamas Sexual Violence
Twenty-nine organizations challenge the UN to enforce consequences for Hamas' weaponization of rape — mounting evidence shows denial of October 7 atrocities and hostage abuse
A coalition of 29 advocacy groups, spearheaded by Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, has called on United Nations leadership to establish meaningful accountability measures for Hamas’s systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of terror. The joint letter, delivered on the opening day of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, demands action beyond symbolic recognition.
Crisis of Global Denial
The organizations expressed alarm over persistent denial of Hamas’s weaponization of sexual violence during the October 7, 2023, massacre and against hostages held in captivity. Coalition leaders warned that this widespread dismissal sends a dangerous signal to terrorist organizations worldwide that rape and kidnapping can be deployed without consequence.
The urgency intensified after UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls Reem Alsalem rejected the legitimacy of the UN’s own investigation into Hamas’s sexual violence crimes earlier this month. This rejection came despite the international body’s documentation of record-level conflict-related sexual violence for two consecutive years.
Demanding Follow-Through
Addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten, and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, the coalition’s letter acknowledges the UN’s initial blacklisting of Hamas as a party credibly suspected of sexual violence. However, the groups argue this first step remains insufficient without enforcement mechanisms.
The coalition specifically calls for Hamas to be blacklisted again in the appendix of the forthcoming 2025 Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Violence, explicitly citing ongoing sexual violence against hostages. Additionally, the letter advocates for development of an international protocol based on survivor-centered frameworks to guide prevention, investigation, and response to conflict-related sexual violence.
Cross-Community Call for Action
“The rise of conflict-related sexual violence is a crisis of global proportions,” stated Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of Hadassah. “We call on the UN to ensure that justice and accountability are not optional.”
The coalition includes diverse voices from Jewish, Muslim, and interfaith women’s organizations, demonstrating broad consensus on accountability needs. Anila Ali, President of the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, emphasized: “Now the UN must follow through with decisive measures that hold all perpetrators accountable and deliver justice for survivors, both in Israel and around the globe.”