Israeli foreign minister asks US, other nations for emergency UNSC meeting on Oct. 7 special report findings
Israel Katz is traveling to New York with hostage family members
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz recently requested that eight nations, including the United States, Great Britain, and France, submit an official request for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council in light of the serious crimes committed by the Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, as well as the UN report on sexual violence.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the countries that submitted the request are the U.S., the UK, France, Malta, Ecuador, Japan, Slovenia and Switzerland.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) members requested holding the emergency session at a public briefing by Pramila Patten, the UN's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, where she will present the report that she authored.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote to his counterparts: “With grave urgency, I request that you call to convene an emergency Security Council meeting, following yesterday’s release of SRSG Patten’s mission report on the horrific atrocities perpetrated by Hamas against Israeli women and girls on October 7th.”
“The Security Council must fully commit itself to ensuring the immediate end of Hamas’ sexual crimes, and work to secure the release of all hostages,” Erdan continued, before asking the nations to designate Hamas as a terror group.
Katz thanked the countries who made the request.
“I congratulate all the countries that supported our request to convene an emergency discussion of the Security Council to discuss the serious findings and publishing of an explicit condemnation of Hamas for its sexual crimes and an unequivocal call for the immediate release of all the abductees in Gaza,” he wrote.
“I expect that other countries will join the request. This is a great victory for justice and morality and an important step on the way to returning the abductees home.”
Katz criticized UN Sec.-Gen. António Guterres for his failure to act on the issue of Hamas violence against Israeli civilians.
“With every passing moment, the abductees continue to be assaulted and the UN Secretary-General continues to close his eyes and cover his ears as if nothing has happened. Specifically on International Women's Day, his continued silence is a disgrace and casts upon him a stain that will not be erased.”
Katz said the report on sexual violence against Israeli women on Oct. 7 “is the most serious thing that has been put before the UN having to do with Israel.”
“The people of Israel will not accept what happened, and we will not stop until the UN declares Hamas a terrorist organization,” Katz continued.
Erdan also asked Guterres to use Article 99 to convene the UNSC to discuss the issue of sexual violence by Hamas terrorists, just as he used it in December to convene the council to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Katz is traveling to New York with dozens of family members of hostages still held in Gaza. They will attend the emergency UNSC meeting on Monday evening and will meet with Patten.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
