Israeli Soldiers and Settlers Accused of Using Sexual Assault to Displace Palestinians
A damning report from human rights and legal experts has revealed that Israeli soldiers and settlers are systematically employing gendered violence, sexual assault, and harassment to forcibly displace Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank. The study, titled "Sexual violence and forcible transfer in the West Bank," documents a disturbing pattern of abuse that includes forced nudity, invasive body cavity searches, exposure of genitals to minors, and explicit threats of sexual violence against women, men, and children.
Escalating Violence and Under-Reporting
Researchers for the West Bank Protection Consortium recorded sixteen cases of conflict-related sexual violence over the past three years, a figure believed to be a significant undercount due to the profound shame and stigma faced by survivors. The report asserts that sexualised violence is deliberately used to pressure communities, influence decisions about leaving homes and land, and disrupt daily life patterns. Since 2023, accounts have detailed escalating attacks and humiliation within Palestinian communities and even inside private homes.
Other reported abuses include:
- Urinating on Palestinians.
- Taking and distributing humiliating photographs of bound and stripped individuals.
- Stalking women using latrines.
- Threatening sexual violence against women.
All case studies are anonymised to protect survivors from further stigma.
Displacement and Life-Altering Consequences
The report finds that sexualised attacks are accelerating the displacement of Palestinians. More than two-thirds of surveyed households identified rising violence against women and children, particularly sexual harassment targeting girls, as a critical tipping point in their decision to flee. Participants described sexualised harassment as the moment when chronic fear became unbearable, forcing families to watch women and girls endure humiliation while calculating potential future dangers.
Israeli soldiers present during these abuses have repeatedly failed to intervene or prosecute perpetrators. In one harrowing account, a woman was subjected to a painful internal search by two female soldiers who entered her home with settlers, ordered her to undress, and made derogatory comments while touching intimate areas.
Targeting Men and Boys
Men and boys are also victims of sexual assault and harassment. Witnesses reported that last month, Israeli settlers stripped 29-year-old Qusai Abu al-Kebash from Khirbet Humsa, placed a zip tie on his genitals, and beat him in front of his community and international activists. In October 2023, settlers and soldiers stripped, handcuffed, and beat Palestinians from Wadi as-Seeq, urinated on them, attempted rape with a broom handle, and distributed naked photographs publicly.
Severe Societal Impacts
Even when communities are not displaced, the impacts are severe. Women and girls are disproportionately affected, with many quitting school or leaving jobs to avoid contact with potential assailants. This has led to a rise in early marriages, as parents desperately seek to protect daughters by moving them away from threats. The report notes at least six families arranging weddings for girls aged 15 to 17.
The Ramallah-based Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) has documented similar patterns, with reports of forced penetration during searches, soldiers exposing themselves to girls at checkpoints, and mocking of menstruating girls. Kifaya Khraim, WCLAC's advocacy unit manager, stated that girls are leaving schools, and early forced marriages are increasing as protective measures, though these cases likely represent only about 1% of actual incidents due to under-reporting.
Culture of Impunity
Milena Ansari of Physicians for Human Rights – Israel highlighted that this rise in sexualised violence occurs within a broader culture of impunity for attacks on Palestinians. A recent decision to drop charges against soldiers for a filmed rape at the Sde Teiman centre sends a clear message that such acts are tolerated. Ansari noted that even discussions in the Knesset have failed to unequivocally condemn rape of Palestinians, with the prime minister not explicitly opposing such acts against detainees.
Israel's failure to prosecute settlers has prompted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to call for International Criminal Court intervention to protect Palestinians from what he termed "Jewish terrorists."
Research Methodology
The report is based on 83 interviews with Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank, including those facing settler violence and movement restrictions. Participants included at-risk individuals, displaced persons, women, youth activists, and community leaders. While not a statistically representative sample, the findings provide a stark insight into the tactics used to force displacement through sexual violence.
The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to questions regarding allegations of sexual abuse by soldiers.
