On March 22, both Russia and China exercised their veto power to block a draft resolution put forth by the United States at the U.N. The resolution called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip contingent upon the release of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian resistance factions. The Russian Ambassador to the U.N. criticized the proposal as a "hypocritical initiative" and an "empty political exercise," noting that it failed to explicitly demand an end to the enduring Israeli war on Gaza, which has persisted for over five months.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Promotes Rape Allegations on October 7
Following the U.N. Security Council's failure to adopt the U.S. draft resolution concerning the aggression on Gaza and Israeli prisoners, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed regret over Russia and China's veto and the resolution's non-adoption. She highlighted that Russia and China could not bring themselves to condemn Hamas for the atrocities committed in Israel in the Hamas attack on October 7, stating, "Russia and China refuse to condemn Hamas for burning people alive, for gunning down innocent civilians at a concert, for raping women and girls, for taking hundreds of people hostage.”
Thus, she adopted the Israeli narrative, that promotes allegations of rape and sexual assault during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7. During this operation, the Al-Qassam Brigades targeted military barracks and Israeli settlements in the Gaza envelope area. However, there is no concrete evidence to substantiate allegations that Israeli women were subjected to sexual assault.
Media Outlets Adopt the Allegations of the U.S. Ambassador
Misbar conducted a review of Western media coverage regarding the draft resolution and observed that many outlets quoted U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield's statements, including allegations of sexual assault, without addressing the absence of concrete evidence. This trend was observed in reports from publications like the Los Angeles Times, Sky News, and NBC News, among others.
Western Media’s Disregard for the Suffering of Palestinian Women
On March 24, Reem Alsalem, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, voiced her apprehension regarding the escalating instances of violence perpetrated by Israeli soldiers against Palestinian women amid the ongoing war on Gaza.
Alsalem highlighted in her post on X that "Rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide!” The U.N. rapporteur called for an immediate halt to violence against Palestinian women.
However, Reem Alsalem's statement regarding the violence against Palestinian women by Israeli soldiers did not receive the same level of media coverage as the reports promoting allegations of rape against Israeli women on October 7.
In a similar vein, Misbar's earlier report highlighted the Western media's failure to cover a U.N. report concerning sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli soldiers against Palestinian women in the West Bank and Gaza since the start of the Israeli war on October 7.
The report released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) last February highlighted reports of Palestinian female prisoners being subjected to various forms of sexual assault, including being stripped of their clothes and searched by Israeli male officers. Experts stated that "at least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence."
However, Misbar observed that prominent media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Los Angeles Times, among others, did not publish any news, reports, or journalistic pieces covering the U.N. report at that time.
In another report, Misbar exposed how Western media outlets had twisted a U.N. report that refuted Israeli claims regarding sexual violence on October 7.
U.N. Security Council Adopts Resolution Calling for Ceasefire in Gaza
On Monday, March 25, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for the first time after more than 5 months of Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
The draft resolution was submitted by the ten non-permanent member states of the Security Council, including Algeria, the only Arab member in the Council. The resolution demands an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the urgent need to increase aid and calling for the removal of all obstacles to their extradition.
The resolution was passed with the support of 14 Council members, while the United States chose to abstain from voting. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield later explained that her country did not align with every aspect of the resolution, which is why they decided not to vote in favor of it.
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