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Tel Aviv, Israel – In recent years, the Israeli security apparatus has become increasingly associated with widespread sexual violence and physical abuse against Palestinians, according to reports from human rights groups. The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has concluded that Israel employs “systematic sexual violence” that is “widely practiced as part of an organized state policy.”
The report, released last month, is based on numerous accounts from Palestinian victims who have described brutal and violent assaults at the hands of Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers, and interrogators. These accounts are supported by corroborating evidence from witnesses, family members, and investigators.
One victim, a 46-year-old freelance journalist named Sami al-Sai, described a particularly disturbing incident in 2024. As he was being taken to a prison cell after his detention, a group of guards threw him to the ground and subjected him to a violent and humiliating assault. “They were all hitting me, and one stepped on my head and neck,” he said. “Someone pulled my pants down. They pulled down my boxers.” The guards then attempted to force a rubber baton into his rectum, but he managed to resist, at least partially. The incident was made even more disturbing by the guards’ laughter and their use of a carrot, which was forced into him despite his protests.
The Euro-Med report also cites the account of a 42-year-old woman who was shackled naked to a metal table and subjected to a prolonged and brutal assault by Israeli soldiers. She reported that, after the incident, she was shown photos of the attack and told that they would be published if she did not cooperate with Israeli intelligence.
Human rights groups have expressed deep concern about the widespread and systematic nature of these abuses. “Israeli forces systematically employ rape and sexual torture to humiliate Palestinian female detainees,” the Euro-Med report states. The report adds that, since 2023, most Palestinian detainees have been denied visits from the Red Cross and lawyers, further exacerbating their vulnerability to abuse.
The exact scale of the problem is difficult to determine, but numerous accounts suggest that sexual violence is a pervasive and deeply ingrained part of the Israeli occupation. According to Save the Children, a survey of children aged 12 to 17 who had been detained by Israeli authorities found that more than half reported witnessing or experiencing sexual violence. The organization believes that the true figure is likely to be higher, due to the stigma associated with the abuse.
In response to these reports, human rights groups are calling for Israel to take immediate action to address the widespread abuse and to hold perpetrators accountable. The Israeli government has yet to respond to the Euro-Med report, but the international community is growing increasingly aware of the scope and gravity of this human rights crisis.