Systematic sexual violence and harassment by Israeli soldiers and settlers have emerged as tools to intimidate Palestinians and force them to leave their homes in the occupied West Bank, reports Al Jazeera.
Observers note that these acts are no longer isolated incidents but represent a coordinated pressure intended to displace residents.
A report titled Sexual Violence and Forcible Transfer in the West Bank, published on 20 April by the West Bank Protection Consortium – led by the Norwegian Refugee Council and funded by the European Union – documented conflict-related sexual violence over nearly three years.
The report concluded that more than 70 per cent of displaced families cited threats against women and children, particularly sexual violence, as a decisive factor in their decision to leave. However, the scale of the problem may be larger than reported due to social stigma and fear.
Settler attacks in Jordan Valley
On 13 March, more than 70 settlers attacked the Bedouin community of Khirbet Hamsa al-Fawqa during the night. Qusay Abu al-Kabash, 29, recounted being beaten with sticks and hands by five settlers who entered his tent, where they also assaulted two foreign female activists.
Abu al-Kabash testified that he was bound with his belt and plastic zip ties, stripped of his underwear, and had his genitals beaten. The settlers threatened to repeat the assault if he did not leave the area.
During the 45-minute attack, residents, including children, were beaten and threatened with death, while hundreds of livestock were stolen. Abu al-Kabash stated that the psychological effects of the sexual assault far outweighed his physical injuries.
Humiliation at checkpoints and camps
In Jenin refugee camp, 60-year-old Abeer al-Sabbagh was subjected to a forced strip search on 13 April by female soldiers. After being ordered into a house, she was told to remove all her clothes despite her pleas and attempts to leave.
She described the experience as the most humiliating ordeal she had endured as a resident of the camp. Issa Amro, coordinator of the Youth Against Settlements group in Hebron, stated that sexual harassment is used to retaliate against the Palestinian presence in friction areas.
He noted that since October 2023, the issue has shifted from individual acts by soldiers to a “widespread phenomenon,” particularly in Hebron’s Old City.
Amro reported that soldiers have forced women to undress at checkpoints, made sexual innuendos, and, in one instance at Tel Rumeida, a soldier exposed himself to a 17-year-old girl.
The Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem published a report in December 2024 documenting similar mistreatment, including humiliating body searches and the filming of victims during assaults in southern Hebron.
Abuse in detention centres
Sexual violence has also been reported within the Israeli prison system. An August 2024 Human Rights Watch report documented torture and sexual assault against detainees.
In one high-profile case at Sde Teiman prison, five soldiers were charged with the sexual abuse of a Gazan detainee after footage emerged; however, charges were dropped in March following a campaign by the Israeli far right.
Journalist Sami al-Sai from Tulkarem, held from February 2024 to June 2025, testified that he was raped with a solid object by prison guards at Megiddo and Rimon prisons.
Al-Sai, who bled for two weeks without medical attention, stated that many prisoners do not dare speak of such violence. Israel maintains that cases of sexual violence by its soldiers are “isolated incidents” and do not represent a wider policy.
