Memphis Standard

Nashville, Tenn. - A group of bipartisan U.S. Senators, including Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), have come together to condemn the United Nations' (UN) inaction regarding Hamas's sexual violence against women in Israel. The Senators have written a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging him to open an independent investigation into Hamas's acts of sexual violence and to hold the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) accountable for its failure to condemn Hamas's atrocities.

The Senators expressed their disappointment with the UN's response to Hamas's widespread sexual violence, including rape and mutilation, as a weapon of war against women. They highlighted the growing body of evidence, including testimonies from survivors and witnesses, that clearly shows Hamas intentionally used rape and sexual assault as weapons of war during a terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 1,200 men, women, and children on October 7, 2023.

In their letter, the Senators emphasized the need for unequivocal condemnation of such sexual violence and expressed shock that it took UN Women nearly two months to speak out against these atrocities. They called for the establishment of an independent fact-finding effort to collect testimonies from survivors and witnesses of Hamas's sexual violence. They believe that an independent investigation is crucial to hold the perpetrators accountable, support survivors, and provide justice for the victims.

The letter was co-signed by several other Senators, including Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). The list of co-signers also included Senators from both parties, such as Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and James Risch (R-Idaho), among others.

The full text of the letter can be found [here](link to the letter).

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2023/12/blackburn-rosen-ernst-lead-bipartisan-push-condemning-united-nations-inaction-on-hamas-s-sexual-violence-against-women