MIDDLE EAST | VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN | ADVOCACY & POLICY
Unveiling Shadows: The Disturbing Truth Behind October 7th in Gaza
WORDS BY INTISAR ALQSAR | INTISAR@THEIWI.ORG | 30 JANUARY 2024
In the aftermath of my initial below article on LinkedIn, the landscape surrounding the events on October 7th in #Gaza has shifted dramatically. Contrary to the official narrative upheld by the Israeli government and supported by Western media, a disturbing cascade of reports is emerging, revealing egregious human rights violations by the Israeli occupation army. What began as an account of the abduction of civilian girls and women has unfolded into a chilling exposé, detailing severe abuses, including sexual violations against Palestinian detainees and hostages, regardless of their gender.
Astonishingly, the international community, often reliant on Western media, seems to have turned a blind eye to these distressing revelations. Testimonies from sources like https://www.mekomit.co.il/ depict a horrifying picture: detainees tied to fences for hours, subjected to beatings, burns from cigarettes, electric shocks, and dehumanizing treatment. The gravity of the situation is underscored by detainees claiming deaths as a result of these inhumane conditions, a fact conveniently omitted by mainstream media reports.
As we navigate through the evolving narrative, it's crucial to highlight that these victims are civilians, including journalists and children—a pertinent detail often overlooked by the media.
Amidst this complexity, The Guardian, on January 21st, 2024, publishes a report with full evidence, detailing beatings and abuse in Israeli detention among Palestinian prisoners, claiming abuse in Israeli custody where six have reportedly died.
Contradictions further emerge as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, on January 4th, 2024, reports the police struggling to locate Gender-Based Violence (GBV) victims or witnesses from the Hamas attack, facing challenges in connecting evidence to described victims. Simultaneously, an investigation by Mondoweiss reveals the Abdush family, central to The New York Times' October 7 GBV report, denying the story and alleging false pretenses in reporters' interviews.
This update underscores the urgency of critically examining the narratives presented, demanding accountability for potential human rights violations, and ensuring justice for the victims of gender-based violence amid the ongoing conflict.
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Amidst the ongoing war and the horrific genocide against civilians in #Gaza, a troubling silence from the international community has paved the way for opportunistic manoeuvres by genuine racists, anti-Semites, and the Zionist movement.
Exploiting the chaos of war, these actors aim to gain political advantage by conflating legitimate criticism of the Israeli government's apartheid policies within its borders or documented instances of racism with global anti-Semitism.
Simultaneously, this narrative is weaponized by Christian Zionists and the extreme right to exert pressure on the Jewish community in the West, compelling them to relocate to Israel under the pretext of anti-Semitism and hatred solely based on their Jewish identity.
The intricate dance between these perspectives is orchestrated prominently by Western media, tragically making Semitic civilians—Jews included—the unfortunate casualties of this ideological clash.
A poignant example lies in the manipulation of the stories of civilian girls and women who fell victim to abduction on October 7th, a tragedy further compounded by alleged incidents of sexual assault.
What's disconcerting is the attempt by some Zionists to assert global apathy toward these crimes, possibly fuelled by the victims' Jewish identity. The narratives surrounding these incidents have been tarnished by media campaigns with opaque objectives and a lack of substantive evidence validating the authenticity of these harrowing accounts.
Adding to the perplexity is the Israeli government's obstruction of credible international organizations, including relevant United Nations bodies, from assuming responsibility and safeguarding the victims.
This not only raises questions about the credibility of the allegations but also places the onus on Israel to address and rectify the situation.
TO BE CLEAR, in the face of allegations of sexual harassment and #GBV, irrespective of the gender or age of the victim, supporting the victim is paramount until proven otherwise. However, we must proceed with absolute sensitivity, treating each case individually to avoid inadvertently discrediting genuine instances due to the political agendas of unscrupulous actors.
The responsibility for any harm befalling civilian victims and those subjected to GBV, if proven true, unequivocally lies with the Israeli government. Period!
It is time to critically examine the narratives presented and seek justice for victims without succumbing to the manipulation of these stories for short-term political gains.
Editorial from Intisar AlQsar, Director of Advocacy and Public Information, International Women’s Initiative