Palestinian Women Expose Rising Sexual Violence by Israeli Forces Amid Ongoing Conflict

March 4th, 2025

Amid the ongoing and escalating conflict in Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinian women are courageously stepping forward to share harrowing accounts of increased sexual violence committed by Israeli soldiers. These reports, gathered by activists and organizations working with Palestinian survivors, paint a disturbing picture of widespread abuse.

Since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023, human rights advocates have noted a significant rise in sexual assault cases among Palestinian detainees, particularly women and girls. According to Kifaya Khraim, the International Advocacy Coordinator for the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) in Ramallah, these violations are part of a systematic pattern in which Palestinian women are subjected to humiliation, sexual torture, and rape.

"Women are arrested without charges and held under administrative detention. They are stripped, beaten, photographed naked, and often raped or threatened with sexual violence," said Khraim, who has documented these atrocities over the past two years. The violence occurs at checkpoints, detention centers, and increasingly, during night raids on homes, where soldiers target Palestinian women in the most intimate and degrading ways.

Khraim emphasized that these abuses are not isolated incidents, but rather a troubling trend across various Israeli military units. "Soldiers seem to have been given explicit directives regarding the treatment of Palestinian women, exploiting cultural stigmas that prevent many victims from coming forward," Khraim added.

The stories shared by survivors speak to the brutal conditions women endure. Many detainees report being denied basic necessities like food, water, and sanitary products, while others recount being sexually assaulted and beaten in front of one another as a means of further humiliation.

Despite these widespread violations, Palestinian women face enormous barriers to seeking justice. Khraim shared that most survivors are terrified to speak out, fearing retaliation that would prevent them from passing through checkpoints, attending school, or accessing healthcare. This fear is compounded by a lack of media attention, particularly in Western outlets, where the atrocities committed by Israeli forces are often minimized or ignored in favor of highlighting alleged acts of sexual violence by Hamas.

In contrast to these reports, Western media narratives about sexual violence often focus on unsubstantiated claims regarding a "coordinated rape campaign" by Hamas. These reports, which gained significant traction following the attacks on October 7, 2023, have been widely debunked by investigative outlets such as The Intercept and Mondoweiss, which found no evidence of organized sexual violence. Instead, these reports were framed by journalists who, despite claims to the contrary, seemed to rely heavily on biased narratives and preconceived notions about Palestinians.

The emphasis on Hamas’ alleged role in perpetrating sexual violence serves to distract from the systematic abuse committed by Israeli forces. According to Yazan Zahzah, a member of the Palestinian Feminist Collective, the framing of Palestinians as inherently violent or barbaric serves a deeper political function. It seeks to justify the occupation and reinforce racist stereotypes that dehumanize Palestinians, portraying them as a threat to Israeli society, particularly to Israeli women.

In addition to the atrocities documented in Gaza, the United Nations has raised concerns over Israeli military practices in Palestinian prisons, where sexual abuse of children and adults has been reported for years. Recent testimony from minors detained in Israeli prisons describes horrific acts of sexual violence, including rape and torture, with little to no accountability for those responsible.

In December 2023, reports from ProPublica and Defense for Children International highlighted instances where Palestinian children were subjected to rape, further documenting the long-standing pattern of abuse within Israeli detention centers. While organizations like Save the Children have raised alarms about these abuses, Israel has consistently blocked attempts to investigate these violations, including a U.N. probe into sexual violence committed by Israeli forces.

This silencing of Palestinian victims is compounded by the media's failure to acknowledge the violence Palestinians face daily. Khraim explained that many survivors of sexual violence are reluctant to come forward, as they rarely see their experiences reflected in global media coverage. The lack of attention to their stories contributes to a cycle of distrust, making it even harder to hold Israeli forces accountable.

Despite these challenges, Khraim and her colleagues continue their vital work of documenting and supporting survivors. In recent months, more Palestinian women have found the courage to speak out, emboldened by the growing awareness of the sexual violence they have endured.

"Women are speaking up now because they are no longer alone," Khraim said. "They know they are not the only ones who have been assaulted and tortured. The more women share their stories, the more others feel safe to come forward."

As the conflict continues to devastate Gaza and the West Bank, the voices of Palestinian survivors are rising in defiance of both their oppressors and the international silence surrounding their suffering. The world must listen to their stories, acknowledge their pain, and demand an end to the violence they endure at the hands of the Israeli military.