Israel is on notice for using sexual violence against Palestinians. It’s all too common as a war tactic

This article contains descriptions of sexual violence some readers may find distressing.

Recently, the United Nations Chief warned Israel he had consistently noted “patterns of certain forms of sexual violence” perpetrated by Israeli armed forces against Palestinians.

The warning followed a damning UN report in March. It documented the extent of the sexual, reproductive and gender-based violence being inflicted upon the people of Gaza.

One such case was a horrendous alleged gang rape case of a Palestinian male at Sde Teiman Detention facility in 2024, by Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers. It was reportedly captured on video.

The victim’s injuries included a torn rectum, broken ribs, and ruptured bowels caused by sodomy and foreign objects. The damage was so severe, he was unable to walk.

This is just one example of the widespread sexual violence occurring – violence that will leave lasting trauma, but for which there may never be accountability or justice.

Sexually violent warfare

Both Israeli and Palestinian authorities have accused each other of committing sexual violence.

The United Nations has filed reports of sexual violence committed by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians.

The UN has also reported sexual violence against Israeli hostages, particularly on October 7, 2023. A 2024 report found Israelis were raped or gang raped on October 7, and there were “reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may still be ongoing against those in captivity”.

As with all sexual violence, hard evidence and empirical data can be hard to come by.

Attacks on reproduction

There have also been repeated attacks on Palestinians’ reproductive health and access, considered a reproductive rights crisis.

Fertility clinics and IVF facilties have been bombed, also blocking neonatal care for pregnancies. There have also been reports of young people having their genitals shot.

In their report, the UN said such attacks:

are destroying the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza as a group through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Some scholars consider these actions a form of ethnic cleansing. Rights groups also say such attacks are considered an atrocity under international law.

Palestinian hostages

UN human rights experts believe the allegations of gang rape only represent the “tip of the iceberg” of the experiences of Palestinian detainees. There’s an estimated 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody, with 5,000 having been held since before October 7th. Some are children.

These Palestinians have been referred to as de facto hostages, due to being held unlawfully, according to the International Court of Justice.

Read more: UN's top court puts Israel on notice over its war in Gaza. Here's what its judgement could mean

The prisons have been referred to as “torture camps” by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories due to the documented abuse.

In addition to deaths in custody, prisoners appear to be regularly subjected to inhumane conditions, as well as torture, humiliation, degradation, sexual abuse and rape.

Hamas is also keeping people captive, with around 50 people in their custody, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Histories of violence

Many international authorities and legal experts call Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide.

History shows us sexual violence has also been used in other genocidal conflicts. It was widely used in Rwanda in 1994, and earlier in Nazi Germany.

Bosnian Muslim women were targeted with rape during the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s.

Currently, distressing cases of sexual violence are also being reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea against Tigray women, Sudan and Myanmar.

The United Nations has documented more than 51,000 cases of sexual violence across various conflicts, with a 50% increase in the number of victims in the last three years.

Reported cases include a wide range of unthinkable acts, including gang rape, anal rape, sexual slavery, abortion and genital mutilation among women and girls, as well as men and boys.

This figure is grossly underreported as many victims do not come forward due to fear, guilt and shame.

Gendered experiences

While historically, sex has been used as weapon of war, used mostly against women and girls, sexual violence against men and boys also happens and is less discussed.

The accusations of gang rape at Sde Teiman detention facility in Israel were barely covered by mainstream media at the time. This type of violence against men often remains hidden mostly due to rigid gender norms and misconceptions about masculinity and male victimisation.

The Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict data set has identified male victims in more than 33 conflicts across the globe. Men have been victims of sexual violence in Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine and in many other conflicts.

State security personnel have been named as the most common perpetrators, especially in detention where sexual violence is used to extract information from detainees. Available evidence shows this is what may be happening to some Palestinian men under Israeli detention.

The vast majority of sexual violence in war is perpetrated by men. Victims of sexual violence, both in Gaza are more broadly, are disproportionately women and girls.

The UN has recently referred to Gaza as a femi-genocide.

Long paths to recovery

The current number of convictions for sexual crimes in war falls short of the number of victims, and the huge impact such violence has on people’s lives and communities.

Additionally, sexual violence can compromise global security and efforts for resolution by creating cycles of violence that spill across borders.

For the victim-survivors, recovery is very difficult. This is partially because sexual violence in conflict is often part of a pattern of other types of abuse.

Therefore, addressing these crimes requires a multi-faceted approach.

Governments and international organisations should cooperate more to increase prevention work.

Military and security responses need to be reminded that sexual violence is prohibited under humanitarian law. Perpetrators need to be identified and tried as much as possible.

And victim-survivors deserve community support and reparations so they can heal.

The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

The authors would like to acknowledge Associate Professor Shannon Bosch for their contributions to this article.