Israeli Prison System Accused of Widespread Sexual Violence Against Palestinian Detainees

A New York Times investigation, based on 14 testimonies from the West Bank, says Israeli prison officials—including soldiers, settlers, interrogators and guard‑staff—have carried out systematic sexual violence against Palestinian men, women and children detained after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Victims reported being shot in the genitals, struck with metal detectors and otherwise assaulted. The report notes that no directive from Israeli leadership has been found.

Israel’s foreign ministry dismissed the NYT article as a “carefully orchestrated anti‑Israeli disinformation campaign.” In March 2025, the United Nations released a report condemning Israel’s “systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other gender‑based violence” following the October 2023 conflict. The Committee to Protect Journalists also documented similar abuse against Palestinian journalists in Israeli custody between Oct 2023 and Jan 2026. An Israeli investigative committee has counter‑claimed that Hamas and other Palestinian groups were responsible for large‑scale sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attacks.

The contrasting narratives underscore ongoing disputes over human‑rights accountability in the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.