Salazar and Gottheimer Call for Investigation into UN Women’s Unacceptably Slow Response to October 7 Sexual Violence by Hamas

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) sent a bipartisan letter urging Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) António Guterres to investigate why it took the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) more than fifty days to acknowledge Hamas’ sexual violence against women and girls — despite widespread and credible evidence during that time.

“On October 7, Hamas terrorists committed unspeakable and repulsive acts of murder and torture, including sexual assault, rape, and genital mutilation. Sexual violence is a recognized war crime and must always be condemned,” wrote Reps. Salazar and Gottheimer. “We urge you to investigate the failures of UN Women to condemn these heinous attacks and take remedial action to ensure that in the future all acts of sexual violence in armed conflicts are condemned, without hesitation.”

On October 7, Hamas terrorists crossed into Israeli territory and slaughtered hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians in the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In December 2023, The New York Times released a harrowing report detailing Hamas’ barbaric use of sexual violence against Israeli women. Shamefully, UN Women took more than 50 days to condemn these heinous crimes despite undeniable, credible evidence of their existence.

Under normal circumstances, UN Women is quick to condemn violence against women used as a weapon of war. However, in the case of Israel, this condemnation was delayed and tepid. There must be an investigation by the UN into their lackluster and unacceptable response.

As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and representative for South Florida in the House of Representatives, Salazar is a leading member on U.S.-Israel policy and is an outspoken opponent of antisemitism in the United States and abroad. She has repeatedly criticized leaders abroad who have espoused antisemitic tropes and conspiracies and introduced legislation to fight antisemitism at home.

Read the full text of the letter here.

###