Former Israeli hostage challenges UN official for ignoring Hamas sexual violence claims

Former Israeli hostage Ilana Gritzewsky confronted UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women Reem Alsalem on Tuesday during a session at the UN Human Rights Council, accusing her of ignoring evidence of sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli women on Oct. 7, 2023.

Gritzewsky, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led attack and later released in the first hostage deal in November 2023, challenged Alsalem directly during a discussion on violence against women.

“Your report speaks about violence against women. Why is there no mention of Hamas?” Gritzewsky asked.

The exchange underscored an ongoing dispute over evidence of sexual violence committed during the Oct. 7 attack. While UN officials and independent investigations have documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence by Hamas operatives, Alsalem has repeatedly questioned claims that sexual violence was systematic or widespread, drawing criticism from Israeli officials, former hostages, and advocacy groups.

Gritzewsky then described the abuse she says she suffered when Hamas terrorists invaded her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.

“I woke up half naked with seven terrorists standing over me, not knowing what happened to me in those lost moments,” Gritzewsky said. “I went through days of pain and horror in captivity, and even now the feeling of being powerless and violated still lingers. I came back with a broken hip, a broken jaw, and a shattered soul.”

She urged Alsalem to see her as a person rather than a statistic and questioned the UN's response to Israeli victims.

“I am standing here today - not as a report, not as a statistic,” Gritzewsky said. “I am a woman who survived. I am the living proof of sexual violence by Hamas. When I, and other Israeli women, begged not to be raped, why were you silent?”

This was Gritzewsky's second visit to the United Nations to share her experience. In August 2025, she addressed the UN Security Council, recounting the trauma she endured during her captivity.

Alsalem has repeatedly challenged claims regarding the scale and nature of sexual violence committed by Hamas and other Gazan terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack.

Four days after Oct. 7, Alsalem posted on 𝕏 that reports of mass rapes of Israeli girls and women were “disinformation that was not examined in depth.”

In March 2024, in an interview with journalist Bar Shem-Ur published by Ynet, Alsalem reiterated her skepticism regarding the allegations.

Those remarks came shortly after UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten released a 24-page report that found “clear and convincing” evidence that conflict-related sexual violence had occurred during the Oct. 7 attacks and against hostages held in Gaza.

Since then, Alsalem has continued to reject allegations that Hamas carried out systematic sexual violence. In April, she said claims of mass sexual violence against Israelis on Oct. 7 were “misinformation” used to “justify the genocide against Palestinians.”

Last month, UN Watch reported that Alsalem received $70,000 in funding from Saudi Arabia in 2024 and $100,000 the following year from the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose members include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

On Monday, Alsalem defended the funding, saying “that the contributions were disclosed under UN transparency rules, administered by the UN human rights office, and did not influence her work,” according to a UN Watch press release.

In December 2025, Gritzewsky became engaged to former hostage Matan Zangauker, who spent 738 days in Hamas captivity. The couple had lived together in Kibbutz Nir Oz before the Oct. 7 attack.