The stories of two women – one Israeli and one Palestinian – are chillingly similar. Both were victims of horrific sexual violence, with the Israeli woman raped by “armed elements” near a music festival and the Palestinian woman allegedly raped while in detention by Israeli army personnel. These harrowing experiences are not isolated incidents; they are part of a disturbing pattern deeply entrenched in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Rape and other forms of sexual violence have long been used as a weapon of war, and this conflict is no exception. From the Rwandan Genocide to the Bosnian War, history has repeatedly shown how this horrific tactic is deployed to dehumanize, inflict psychological trauma, and exert control over populations.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, chaired by Navi Pillay, has documented a multitude of cases involving both Hamas and Israeli security forces.
Hamas and the Use of Sexual Violence
While evidence regarding Hamas’s actions is limited due to the ongoing conflict and the difficulty of gathering information from underground tunnels where hostages are being held, there is alarming evidence suggesting systematic sexual violence by Hamas militants. Bodies found undressed and the accounts of released hostages provide “clear and convincing information” of rape and sexualized torture. The UN experts believe this violence may still be ongoing.
Israeli Forces and Sexual Violence Towards Palestinians
The evidence against Israeli forces is more substantial, with numerous reports, testimonies, and footage detailing the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees. Reports from earlier this year indicate Palestinian women and girls in detention have been subjected to various forms of sexual assault, including being stripped naked and searched by male officers, with some claiming to have been raped. The Israeli army is also reported to have taken degrading photographs of female detainees and uploaded them online.
Testimonies from Palestinians during evacuations further detail the horrific abuse they faced. Israeli soldiers forced men, women, and children to strip naked and walk in public. A witness described how women were forced to remove their veils and subjected to sexual harassment. One account even detailed a female soldier recording two teenage boys stripped to their underwear while she laughed.
Beyond Physical Abuse: The Psychological Impact
The sexual violence goes beyond physical abuse, aiming to inflict deep psychological trauma and break the victim’s spirit. Forcing women to remove their veils, a deeply personal and symbolic act, is intended to humiliate and shame them, creating a psychological vulnerability.
Systematic Sexual Violence Against Men
While women are often seen as the primary targets of sexual violence in conflict, this is not limited to female victims. In this case, there is significant evidence of Israeli security forces targeting men and boys. The intent, according to Pillay, is to “feminise” and shame them, stripping them of their manhood and masculinity. Testimonies describe forced undressing, forced kneeling, and humiliation in front of families.
The Commission documented at least nine incidents where Israeli soldiers filmed hundreds of Palestinian men in humiliating situations. These videos and photographs, first appearing on Israeli Telegram groups, provide disturbing evidence of systemic sexual violence against men.
Motives and Institutional Support
The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the sexual violence perpetrated by both sides is not a result of individual desires but a deliberate tactic of war. The primary motivation appears to be revenge, fueled by a desire to punish and humiliate the enemy. This deeply rooted notion of collective humiliation through sexual violence is often linked to perceptions of national honour and the ownership of women.
The Commission’s report suggests that the perpetrators’ actions may be tacitly condoned or even authorized by their superiors. The lack of investigations or punishment for these crimes indicates a disturbing level of institutional support for this heinous form of violence.
The Untold Suffering
The stories of the Israeli and Palestinian women who were victims of sexual violence serve as stark reminders of the devastating consequences of this brutal tactic. Their experiences highlight the systemic nature of this problem and the urgent need for accountability. The lack of access to victims and the challenges in gathering evidence make it impossible to know the full extent of the suffering, but the existing evidence paints a grim picture of widespread sexual violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The international community must address this issue with utmost urgency and hold perpetrators accountable, ensuring that justice prevails and the cycle of violence ends.
