The Lie:
- On November 16, 2025, UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem claimed that “no independent investigation has found that rape occurred on October 7,” dismissing all evidence of Hamas sexual atrocities.
The Truth:
- Survivor testimony, UN documentation, Israeli investigations, forensic evidence, and a major New York Times probe all confirm Hamas used rape and sexual torture as weapons of war.
Background:
- Reem Alsalem — a Jordanian consultant appointed in 2021 as the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls — has repeated a familiar pattern of UN workers downplaying or denying sexual violence against Israelis.
- Her statements contradict testimony delivered directly to the UN, contradict the UN Secretary-General’s own findings, and ignore overwhelming documentation from hostages, medics, journalists, and investigators.
Truth: Explained
- Released hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal described repeated sexual assault — coerced touching, forced physical contact, threats with a gun and knife, and psychological terror. His account shows sexual violence occurred inside Hamas captivity, not merely on October 7. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-874821
- Former hostage Aviva Siegel testified before the UN (Nov 12, 2025) that Hamas assaulted young female hostages, including forcing a 16-year-old to undress and perform sexual acts under threat of death. This testimony was delivered directly to UN officials, yet denied by Alsalem days later.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/aviva-siegel-tells-un-young-female-hostages-in-gaza-were-repeatedly-sexually-assaulted/ - The UN Secretary-General’s 2024 conflict-related sexual violence report listed Hamas as “credibly suspected” of committing rape during the Oct. 7 attacks. Alsalem is contradicting her own institution’s official findings. https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/
- A two-month New York Times investigation confirmed a coordinated pattern of rape, genital mutilation, and sexual torture at at least seven attack sites — backed by 150+ interviews, verified videos, medics, first responders, and police evidence. This is the strongest independent investigation validating the sexual crimes Hamas committed.
How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7 — The New York Times - Ambassador Danny Danon filed a formal complaint (Nov 18, 2025) documenting that Alsalem ignored survivor testimony, contradicted UN evidence, and violated UN protocols. Israel demanded her removal for erasing victims and misleading the global public. https://x.com/dannydanon/status/1991540388281131156?s=20
- Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad publicly exposed Alsalem’s denial as deliberate disinformation, pointing to survivors, UN reports, Israeli investigators, and global journalism. The denial fits a repeated anti-Israel pattern within UN bodies.
https://x.com/YosephHaddad/status/1989962336266752465
Quotes
- Ambassador Danny Danon (Nov 18, 2025):
“Reem Alsalem’s denial of Hamas’s sexual atrocities is a moral disgrace. A UN official who erases rape victims has no place in the United Nations. She must be removed immediately.” - Aviva Siegel, former Hostage (UN testimony, Nov 12, 2025):
“I saw the girls shaking. Hamas terrorists forced them to undress and assaulted them. I witnessed what they did to a 16-year-old girl. She was terrified.” - Yoseph Haddad (Nov 16, 2025):
“Reem Alsalem is lying on purpose. The evidence is endless — from survivors, from investigators, and from the UN’s own reports.”
Takeaway:
UN officials like Reem Alsalem can deny Hamas’s rape crimes all they want — but survivor testimony, forensic documentation, and even the UN’s own reports prove Hamas used systematic sexual violence on October 7. Their denial isn’t ‘caution’ — it’s anti-Israel rhetoric that erases victims and protects perpetrators.
