An event will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday night, with the participation of senior UN officials and representatives of the hostage families, where a report by the UN special envoy on torture will be presented for the first time.
Kan Reshet Bet reported that the report recognizes the psychological terrorism inflicted by Hamas against the hostage families as a violation of the international laws of war.
This is a historic achievement that was reached thanks to the efforts of the legal department of the Hostage' Families Headquarters, headed by Dr. Shelly Aviv-Yeini.
The Families Headquarters managed to contact the UN special envoy, Alice Edwards, who visited Gaza several months ago and met with the families. In a report written by Edwards, she claimed that the families are experiencing tremendous psychological torture, as a result of the captivity of their family members and that Hamas is carrying out psychological terror against them.
The families are defined in the report as victims of mental and psychological torture at the hands of Hamas. This report will enable families to file lawsuits in international tribunals against Hamas for harm and injury to them, as well as to seek financial compensation for emotional and psychological damage.
Dr. Aviv-Yeini, representative of the legal department of the Hostages' Headquarters, said, "According to the report, the videos Hamas published of the hostages, which include the use of manipulations intended to confuse family members, constitute torture of family members. The report also mentions that hostage families often experience depression and chronic anxiety, also due to the fact that the governments of the families of the hostages often require them not to speak publicly. The next stage is to try to pass a resolution based on the report, that recognizes the hostage families as victims in the UN Security Council as well."