Israel Rejects Report On IDF Sexual Violence: 'Outrageous'

Disclaimer: this article contains references to violence against women which may be disturbing for some readers.

Human rights experts supported by the UN have issued a report which claims that Israeli forces and Palestinian militants have engaged in sexual and gender-based violence during the first months of the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel, which has refused to cooperate with the UN-backed body and accused it of bias, rejected the report.

The Context

The report was submitted to the Human Rights Council by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory via email for comment.

The expert panel was commissioned in 2021 by the UN-backed Human Rights Council to look into violations and abuses of rights in Israel and the Palestinian territories that Israel controls.

Newsweek has reached out to a representative of the Israeli government for comment via email.

The UN-backed body, which is led by Navi Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, is comprised of independent experts.

Newsweek has also reached out to a representative of the United Nations via email for comment.

What We Know

The report suggests that Israeli forces committed frequent, prevalent and severe sexual and gender-based crimes against Palestinians. It further claims that this amounts to evidence that such crimes "are part of ISF operating procedures".

The report states that the ISF "systemically targeted and subjected Palestinians to SGVB online and in person since October 7.", including "forced public nudity, forced public stripping, sexualised torture and abuse, and sexual humiliation and harassment." The report notes that these findings are based on "verified video footage and photographs." It continues, stating that "Sexual acts were carried out by force, including under threats, intimidation and other forms of duress, in inherently coercive circumstances due to the armed conflict and the presence of armed Israeli soldiers."

It is also reported that Palestinian women were subjected to "psychological violence" and "sexual harassment online", which included "shaming and doxing female detainees". The report said that a women's shelter in Gaza was directly targeted.

The Commission also noted that, "based on the circumstances and context of these acts, the GBV directed at Palestinian women was intended to degrade the Palestinian people as a whole."

The report also details acts of gender-based violence committed by Hamas: "The Commission found indications that members of the military wing of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups committed gender-based violence (GBV) in several locations in southern Israel on 7 October." Hamas's military wing has denied committing sexual violence against Israeli women.

The report said that experts have documented "cases indicative of sexual violence" against women and men near the site of a large music festival, a military outpost and several kibbutzim that the raiders attacked on October 7.

"The Commission found that women were disproportionally affected by this type of gender-based crime and documented many cases with the same pattern, from both kibbutzim and the Nova festival," the reports authors said.

It added that "Women and women's bodies were used as victory trophies by male perpetrators. The abduction, violence and humiliation of women were put on public display."

The Response

Israel's office in Geneva shared a statement with Newsweek which read: "Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7 during a Jewish High Holiday. Today, on the Jewish High Holiday of Shauvot, the Pillay Commission of Inquiry chooses to publish its latest biased reports, attacking Israel."

The statement continued that "the report outrageously and repugnantly attempts to draw a false equivalence between IDF soldiers and Hamas terrorists with regards to acts of sexual violence."

"Israel rejects the abhorrent and immoral accusations levelled against the IDF, both with regards to the military operation in Gaza and its initial response against Hamas terrorists in Israel." In the same statement, it is claimed that "the IDF conducts itself in line with international law."

Official United Nations accounts have shared statements on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The United Nations Human Rights Council posted, writing that "UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem & Israel says Israeli authorities responsible for #warcrimes & #crimes against humanity in Gaza; Palestinian armed groups responsible for war crimes in Israel."

The account for United Nations Geneva also posted, writing that "Israeli authorities and Palestinian armed groups are responsible for war crimes, independent UN inquiry finds."

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