U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Hamas had repeatedly raped women and mutilated their bodies during its Oct.7 assault on southern Israel, citing survivors and witnesses of the attacks.
I don’t know how reputable that site is, but it sounds reputable
The pushback is apparently in response to comments from US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller Monday that Hamas terrorists likely held back on freeing female hostages because it did not want them to speak publicly about being subjected to rape and other sexual violence.
The pushback is not on the claim of rape and mutilation. The pushback is on the rapes being a reason to hold back on hostage release.
And I agree. The (likely) fact of the rapes and mutilation is horrific. But to even imply that is a reason that hostages are not being exchanged hurts both sides and prolongs the war. Because it implies an avenue of propaganda that would make hamas less likely to engage and it infuriates idf soldiers which leads to even more atrocities.
I don’t know how reputable that site is, but it sounds reputable
The pushback is not on the claim of rape and mutilation. The pushback is on the rapes being a reason to hold back on hostage release.
And I agree. The (likely) fact of the rapes and mutilation is horrific. But to even imply that is a reason that hostages are not being exchanged hurts both sides and prolongs the war. Because it implies an avenue of propaganda that would make hamas less likely to engage and it infuriates idf soldiers which leads to even more atrocities.