Did ‘Mass Rape’ Occur on Oct. 7? UN Expert Weighs the Evidence

“[Claims of mass rape are] being used and used, over and over again in order to justify the genocide against Palestinians… We are using really different standards with regards to violence against Palestinians on one hand and violence against Israelis.”

Two years after the October 7 attacks, questions about mass rape and sexual violence remain unresolved. The UN says there are “reasonable grounds” to believe assaults happened but could not verify them.

In this ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ interview, Mehdi Hasan sits down with UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, who says investigators lacked access to forensic evidence and Israel didn’t cooperate with the investigation. She’s also faced calls for removal over her comments.

Alsalem highlights documented cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees — cases she says have received far less attention — and warns that narratives around October 7 are being used politically while other atrocities are ignored. She also exposes shocking sexual violence in Sudan, calling it “apocalyptic” and a tool of genocide — yet largely ignored by Western media.

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