A senior United Nations official is facing intense scrutiny after publicly claiming that no independent investigation has found evidence of Hamas sexual violence on October 7 — a statement directly contradicted by survivor testimony, UN documentation, Israeli investigations, and major international reporting.
On November 16, 2025, Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, asserted that “no independent investigation has found that rape occurred on October 7.” Her remarks immediately reignited accusations that UN officials have repeatedly downplayed or denied sexual violence committed against Israelis.
Alsalem, a Jordanian consultant appointed in 2021, has drawn criticism in the past for comments related to Israeli victims. This latest controversy escalated quickly, in part because her denial came just days after a former hostage described sexual assaults to UN delegates.
On November 12, former hostage Aviva Siegel testified before UN officials that Hamas terrorists repeatedly assaulted young female captives in Gaza. She described a 16-year-old girl being forced to undress and perform sexual acts under threat of death. “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,” she told the panel.
Another released hostage, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, recounted his own experiences of sexual assault in captivity, including coerced touching, forced physical contact, threats with weapons, and prolonged psychological abuse. His testimony makes clear that sexual violence occurred not only during the initial attack but throughout Hamas captivity.
The UN’s institutional findings also contradict Alsalem’s statement. The 2024 UN report on conflict-related sexual violence listed Hamas as “credibly suspected” of committing rape during the October 7 attacks, placing her comments directly at odds with her organization’s official assessments.
Independent journalism has reached the same conclusion. A two-month New York Times investigation documented a coordinated pattern of rape, genital mutilation, and sexual torture at at least seven attack sites. The findings were supported by more than 150 interviews, verified videos, testimony from medics and first responders, and police and forensic evidence.
Following Alsalem’s remarks, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon filed a formal complaint with the UN on November 18, arguing that she ignored survivor testimony, contradicted UN evidence, and violated institutional protocols. “Reem Alsalem’s denial of Hamas’s sexual atrocities is a moral disgrace,” he said. “A UN official who erases rape victims has no place in the United Nations. She must be removed immediately.”
Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad also condemned her comments, calling them “deliberate disinformation” and pointing to extensive documentation from survivors, investigators, and the UN itself. “Reem Alsalem is lying on purpose,” he said. “The evidence is endless — from survivors, from investigators, and from the UN’s own reports.”
Critics say this episode reflects a broader problem inside certain UN bodies, where political hostility toward Israel is seen as shaping how officials treat even well-documented abuses against Israelis. Survivors, investigators, and advocates argue that the record is clear: testimony, forensic documentation, UN reports, and independent investigations all confirm that Hamas used systematic sexual violence on October 7 and in the weeks that followed.
Alsalem’s comments, they say, do not represent caution or neutrality. They disregard extensive evidence, undermine victims, and promote a narrative that shields perpetrators instead of acknowledging their crimes.
