For the first time, Hamas is now included in the United Nations (UN) “Blacklist” and officially recognized as one of the organizations that commit sexual crimes in violent conflicts.
The UN is expected to send the Secretary-General’s report detailing the blacklist to all members of the General Assembly.
Earlier, in 2024, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, already reported on the sexual crimes committed by terrorist organizations. These crimes that include rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, and sexual abuse of hostages in captivity, have persisted even after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Meanwhile, a delegation of hostage mothers met with Red Cross International Committee President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland.
A special report on the medical and mental conditions of returned hostages taken in captivity by Hamas for more than 670 days was presented to her during the meeting.
The report is a compilation of information collected by the Ministry of Health from testimonies of 12 returnees as part of the “Wings of Freedom” release phases between January–February 2025 and from interviews with medical professionals and caregivers. All information was gathered with the full consent of the hostage returnees, while safeguarding their privacy and dignity.
The report contains difficult but essential information that brings to light the harsh reality in which the hostages were held. It details the cruel conditions of captivity and their severe effects on the physical and mental health of the returnees.
Furthermore, the report offers insights into the possible conditions of those still in captivity. The report, which is anonymous and non-identifying, is aimed to serve as a reliable source of information to lobby for the eventual release of remaining hostages.
The delegation traveled to Geneva as part of a joint initiative of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Hostages, Missing and Returned Persons Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office; Ministry of Defense; and Ministry of Health.
