The European Union on Friday imposed sanctions on the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, citing their involvement in “widespread” sexual violence during the attacks on Israel on October 7.
Naija News reports that both groups have long been included in the EU’s terrorism blacklist, but the recent actions mark a harsher stance against their activities.
The EU’s decision highlights reports that fighters from these Palestinian groups systematically employed sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war during their incursions.
The sanction notice disclosed that the abuses by Hamas included “the rape and subsequent murder of female minors, mutilation of corpses as well as genital mutilation,” and the “targeted abduction of women and girls.”
This move is part of a broader agreement among EU member states which will also lead to the blacklisting of violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, signalling a robust approach to addressing what the EU perceives as acts of terror and aggression in the region.
The backdrop to these sanctions is the devastating impact of Hamas’s unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, which, according to Israeli figures, led to the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, and precipitated a war in Gaza.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive following these attacks has resulted in significant casualties as well, with at least 33,634 deaths reported in Gaza, predominantly among women and children, as per the latest figures from the territory’s health ministry.
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