Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz is headed to New York to attend a special United Nations Security Council session dealing with the sexual violence employed by Hamas during its Oct. 7 massacre.
Joining Katz on the trip is a special delegation of hostages’ families, along with Brig-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, Israel’s Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing.
The session, which was requested by Security Council members the United States, the United Kingdom and France, will focus on the report issued last week by U.N. Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Foreign Minister Israel Katz success ahead of his trip, emphasizing what he said was the unprecedented diplomatic accomplishment it represented.
That the United States, United Kingdom and France had convened an emergency session on the matter was in large part thanks to intensive diplomatic efforts led by Katz, said Netanyahu according to a government press statement.
Katz thanked Netanyahu for his support and assistance, saying, “We indeed accomplished an important diplomatic achievement with the immediate convening of the Security Council. However, we are not stopping here.
Patten’s report, he continued, “Is the most severe item that has been tabled in the U.N. regarding the State of Israel. The religious leadership of Hamas gave orders to murder, rape and desecrate the bodies of our daughters.
“The hostages’ families will stand beside me in order to remind the U.N. Secretary General and the entire world: The people of Israel will not tolerate what happened and will not relent until the U.N. declares Hamas a terrorist organization.”
