TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Palestinian resistance group Hamas rejected on Monday Israel's accusation of rape and sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attack.

In a statement, Hamas dismissed the accusation as a “desperate attempt” to distort the group’s humane treatment of Israeli hostages.

"We reject the Israeli lies about raping, which aim to distort the resistance and tarnish our humane and moral treatment of captives,” the statement wrote.

Previously, the UN commission focusing on the sexual violence allegation has requested to conduct a fact-finding investigation, according to the commission leader Navi Pillay to Reuters on Nov. 29.

However, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan refused to cooperate with the commission on account of anti-Israel bias. 

"Hamas used rape and sexual violence as weapons of war," he said as quoted by The Times of Israel, during a special session at the UN on Monday.

According to Israeli authorities, around 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostages during the Oct. 7 attack.

Since then, Israel relentlessly bombarded Gaza and killed at least 15,899 people in the enclave, the Gaza Health Ministry said. 

UNRWA estimated around 70 percent of those killed were women and children.

Hamas released 110 hostages held by the group during its cross-border attack, including 86 Israelis and 24 foreigners, most of them Thais during a week-long humanitarian pause with Israel.

Footage released by the Palestinian group showed some hostages saluting Hamas fighters as they were set free from captivity.

Hamas called on all media outlets “to remain vigilant not to fall into the trap of Israel’s lies and its tendentious propaganda, and to verify every information, to protect the truth and preserve the sanctity of the media message.”

ANADOLU | THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

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