WATCH: UN Official Stumbles When Asked to Condemn Hamas

A United Nations Official ⁣Dodges Responsibility When Questioned About Condemning Hamas

In the ​latest controversy surrounding the U.N.’s statements on Israel’s war against Hamas, a women’s rights official from the United Nations tried⁤ to evade ⁤accountability‍ when asked why she couldn’t ⁢condemn the violence perpetrated by Hamas‌ on October 7.

When ​questioned by CNN’s Bianna Golodryga, ‍U.N. ⁤Women executive director Sarah⁢ Hendriks attempted to shift the focus to impartial investigations led by the Office of the High ⁢Commissioner of Human Rights. However, Golodryga pressed Hendriks on why​ she couldn’t specifically condemn Hamas for their atrocities,‌ including the rape of women, which​ Israeli investigators had gathered evidence of over the past seven weeks.

Hendriks responded by⁢ stating that U.N. Women supports investigations into gender-based violence and ‌deflected responsibility to the Independent International Commission ‌of Inquiry within the U.N. system.

Last week, U.N. Women faced ​criticism for⁣ initially posting and ‍then ⁢deleting an Instagram post ​that condemned Hamas’s atrocities on October 7 and called for the release of all hostages. The organization later made another ‌post expressing concern about gender-based violence but failed to‍ mention Hamas.

This is not the first time the U.N. has faced backlash for its stance⁣ on Israel’s war against Hamas. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received criticism for suggesting that the attacks by Hamas were not isolated incidents and that Palestinians have been suffering⁣ under occupation for 56 years.