By: Fern Sidman

In a landmark move nearly two years after the October 7, 2023, massacre, the United Nations has officially recognized that Hamas has committed — and continues to commit — some of the most heinous sexual crimes documented in modern conflict, Israel National News (INN) reported on Thursday.

On August 14, the UN Secretary-General is expected to circulate to all member states the annual report on sexual violence in conflict, commonly known as the “blacklist” — a register of state and non-state actors found responsible for systematic sexual crimes during armed conflicts. For the first time, Hamas will appear on that list.

According to the Israel National News report, the development follows months of investigation and prior acknowledgment by UN officials. In early 2024, Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, released findings detailing the scope and nature of sexual crimes committed by Hamas terrorists during and after the October 7 attacks.

Her report documented rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, and other forms of sexual violence — including abuse in captivity — carried out during the initial assault and continuing throughout the ongoing hostage crisis. Survivors, witness testimonies, and forensic evidence formed the backbone of the UN’s eventual decision to formally list Hamas alongside other entities implicated in systematic sexual violence.

The Israel National News report noted that the crimes in question began with the October 7 incursion, when Hamas terrorists crossed into Israeli territory and carried out coordinated assaults on multiple civilian communities. Witnesses and recovered evidence have indicated that sexual violence was not incidental but rather an integral component of the attack strategy.

Reports detail brutal assaults against women and girls, including public rapes, mutilations, and murders designed to terrorize and humiliate communities. Men were also victims of sexual abuse, a fact underscoring the breadth of the crimes and the degree to which sexual violence was deployed as a weapon of war.

According to the information provided in the INN report, the UN’s decision to blacklist Hamas reflects not only historical crimes but ongoing acts of sexual violence against Israeli hostages. Nearly two years after the initial attack, intelligence and testimony from released captives confirm that sexual abuse continues in Hamas custody.

These abuses include repeated assaults, deprivation of medical care for injuries sustained during rapes, and coercive conditions aimed at breaking the victims psychologically as well as physically. Israel National News reported that these findings were corroborated by multiple credible sources, including international aid workers and Israeli investigative teams.

Placement on the UN blacklist for sexual violence in conflict carries no automatic sanctions, but it has significant diplomatic weight. As the INN report explained, the listing is intended to trigger heightened scrutiny, potential international legal action, and increased pressure on states and organizations to sever support for listed entities.

Inclusion also obliges UN member states to address the listed entity’s crimes within their own foreign policy and humanitarian frameworks. For Israel, the listing of Hamas is seen as an important recognition of the reality faced by victims and a potential tool in mobilizing international action for the release of remaining hostages.

The Israel National News report emphasized that the recognition comes amid continued calls for urgent measures to secure the release of all hostages held in Gaza. Israeli officials and advocacy groups argue that the ongoing sexual abuse of captives is a humanitarian emergency of the highest order.

The INN report stressed that the listing should reinforce the case for both the immediate liberation of hostages and the complete disarmament of Hamas to prevent further atrocities.

While other armed groups have been placed on the UN’s sexual violence blacklist in past years, the inclusion of Hamas marks the first time the terrorist organization has been formally recognized in this specific context.

The UN’s sexual violence in conflict framework has historically listed entities such as the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and certain armed forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo — groups whose documented crimes included systematic rape and sexual slavery. Hamas now joins this notorious category.

Although the full list will not be public until the UN Secretary-General’s report is circulated to member states, news of Hamas’ inclusion is already prompting reactions from governments and advocacy organizations. INN reported that Israeli officials have welcomed the move, citing it as overdue acknowledgment from an international body that has often been critical of Israel’s military actions.

Human rights advocates hope the listing will bolster efforts to prosecute Hamas leaders under international criminal law, particularly for crimes against humanity. Others point to the need for stronger international mechanisms to protect civilians and prevent the use of sexual violence as a tactic in warfare.

The UN’s decision underscores the ongoing threat posed by Hamas not only to Israeli security but to fundamental human rights. The atrocities committed on October 7 and in the months since demonstrate a deliberate strategy of using sexual violence to terrorize populations, destabilize communities, and exert control over captives.

For Israel, the challenge remains twofold: defeating Hamas militarily and dismantling its capacity to commit such crimes, while also ensuring that the international community recognizes and responds decisively to the suffering of victims.

The UN blacklist represents a formal acknowledgment of these crimes — but whether it leads to tangible action will depend on how member states, humanitarian agencies, and judicial bodies respond in the critical months ahead.