UN meeting erupts over sexual violence allegations leveled against Israel
A session at the United Nations turned into a heated argument over sexual violence allegations directed at Israel. "You will be quiet," one delegate reportedly said during the verbal exchange. The episode opens a new line of tension in the UN's diplomatic agenda on regional conflicts.
During the UN session a delegate cutting off another delegation's speech with the reported phrase "You will be quiet" showed that the dispute had moved beyond the bounds of diplomatic protocol. According to footage carried by Al Jazeera, sexual violence allegations directed at Israel were at the centre of the exchange.
UN officials said disciplinary measures were taken to allow the session to continue. Israeli representatives rejected the accusations, while the delegations raising the claims asked for the issue to be assessed within a human rights framework.
Diplomatic sources say the tension at the session is directly linked to the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah confrontation and the humanitarian situation in Lebanon. The UN Secretary-General's office said a supplementary briefing note will be prepared, while human rights organisations renewed calls for an independent investigation.
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