Blinken: The Sexual Violence by Hamas Members in the Attack on Israel is 'Unimaginable'

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken strongly condemned the 'sexual violence' committed by Hamas members during the attack on Israel on October 7. He also criticized those who have not condemned these actions strongly or have been slow to do so. He told CNN, 'I don't understand why countries, leaders, international organizations have been so slow to focus on this issue and draw attention to it.' Blinken added, 'The atrocities we saw on October 7 are almost beyond human description or our ability to digest.' Last week, the United Nations heard testimonies regarding claims of sexual violence by Hamas during a meeting hosted by the Israeli government at the UN headquarters in New York. According to CNN, several speakers at the meeting stated that some human rights groups have been very slow to condemn Hamas's sexual assault and sexual violence. Meanwhile, Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives are planning to introduce a resolution condemning Hamas's use of sexual violence and sexual assault against Israeli women. According to CNN, the Israeli police are also interrogating suspects and gathering evidence, including video, medical examinations, and witness testimonies, to investigate allegations of sexual assault during the October 7 attacks in southern Israel. Witnesses of these Hamas attacks say that women and girls were sexually assaulted and tortured, and many were killed. Hamas, which is supported by the Iranian government, is recognized as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and some countries.