Report Documents Sexual Violence by Settlers in West Bank

A new report by the West Bank Protection Consortium, a partnership of international humanitarian organizations, has documented at least 16 cases of conflict-related sexual violence attributed to Israeli settlers and soldiers in the occupied West Bank over the past three years. Released this week, the study highlights how such abuses are contributing to the forcible displacement of Palestinian communities, particularly in Area C, the portion of the territory under full Israeli administrative control.

The report, based on in-depth interviews with 83 Palestinians from 10 communities in the Jordan Valley, South Hebron Hills, and central West Bank, describes sexualized violence as a deliberate tactic within a broader pattern of intimidation and pressure. Researchers found that incidents have intensified, including sexual harassment, threats of assault, forced nudity, invasive body searches, exposure of genitals in front of minors, and degrading acts such as urination on detainees. Many abuses occurred inside homes or intimate spaces, with settlers and soldiers invading residences, stalking women at water points or toilets, and sharing images of humiliations online. In several cases,...