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UN Rapporteur’s Post Denying Oct. 7 Rapes Prompts Calls for Removal

Her assertion conflicts with a 2024 UN mission that reported substantial evidence of sexual violence on Oct. 7.

Overview

  • UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem wrote on X on Nov. 14 that no independent investigation found rape occurred on Oct. 7, 2023.
  • Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon condemned the statement and urged her removal, pressing Secretary‑General António Guterres to respond.
  • Alsalem later said she was being deliberately misrepresented following the backlash to her post.
  • UN records cited in the coverage include a March 2024 mission led by Pramila Patten that found substantial evidence of rape and an August 2025 blacklist that named Hamas for sexual crimes in conflict.
  • Reports referenced by outlets point to survivor and witness testimony, findings by Israel’s rape crisis centers, major media investigations, and alleged confessions by captured perpetrators.