The IDF and Sexual Terrorism of Palestinians
how Israeli soldiers weaponize rape and sexual torture
Every year, hundreds upon hundreds of Palestinians are handcuffed, abused, and sexually violated by IDF soldiers.
A 2023 report of 228 Palestinian children, all of whom were arrested and detained by Israeli forces, found that 86% of the children were beaten in detention, 69% were stripped of their clothes and humiliated, and 42% were injured.
The report discusses the overwhelmingly incidents of children being raped and sexually violated, starved, deprived of sleep, and denied necessary healthcare. A former detainee named Khalil recounts how he was forced to crawl on his broken leg, as the IDF soldiers gave him no crutches or cane of any sort. “I felt my body being torn apart,” he says.
Approximately 500-1,000 Palestinian children are held in Israeli military detention per year. According to the study, the most common alleged crime that the child detainees were prosecuted for was “stone-throwing,” in other words, throwing rocks at IDF soldiers, which can result in up to 20 years in prison.
Rape has always been a weapon of war, colonization, and oppression. And the IDF is no exception, as they have been utilizing rape against the Palestinians they terrorize for years.
A Palestinian woman released from Israeli detention after nine years in captivity told reporters the harrowing story of how she and over 15 other women were sexually assaulted and forced to pose naked in pornagraphic photos. She explained how the IDF soldiers would record videos as they violently raped the Palatestian prisoners to use as “blackmail” and keep the female detainees in line.
In 2021, a 15-year-old Palestinian detainee was sexually tortured by IDF soldiers, who assaulted him, beat him, and electrocuted his genitals.
In the summer of 2023, 5 Palestinian civilian women were forcibly stripped naked and humiliated by multiple female IDF soldiers, who then proceeded to steal 150 grams worth of golden jewelry from their homes, which they claimed were bullets.
Although rape and sexual torture are primary used against women and children, a 2015 study published in the journal of Reproductive Health Matters analyzes the prevelance of sexual abuse against male Palestenian detainees in Isreali detention centers. Over a third of the 60 men and boys interviewed for the study were forced to disrobe, and many were raped with blunt objects, as well as sexually tortured via electroshock to the genitals. Of the male detainees abused and raped, 15% were children.
Since Isreali has declared war on Hamas, the rate of rape and sexual torture will only grow, as it always does in war.
If you are able to, please consider making a donation to the Islamic Relief USA, which provides emergency aid to Palestinian families affected by the conflict. This aid includes food, clean water, hygiene products, support for orphaned children, and winter assistance.