Content warning: Dis article get descriptions of sexual violence and abuse we fit make readers feel upset.

Sexual violence wey dem dey do against Palestinians don turn part of wide and systematic pattern of abuse under Israeli occupation, and new report don list incidents like rape, genital torture, forced nudity and sexual humiliation for detention centres, military operations and displacement sites.

The report for the British Medical Journal gather evidence from medical, humanitarian and human rights organisations and e examine the size of the abuses to show how dem no fit make people answerable.

The report show for ground few weeks after the third anniversary of the start of Israel’s genocidal war against Palestine wey don kill more than 75,000 people and don make millions flee for the destroyed Gaza enclave.

Sexual violence na part of bigger campaign of abuse wey dey terrorise Palestinian communities and dey push dem make dem leave, Dr Nick Maynard, consultant surgeon wey base for Oxford and wey don travel Gaza many times to give medical help and co-author of the new report, talk so.

“E important make people understand say the evidence we don give of sexual violence against Palestinians no suppose be seen as isolated incidents but as part of wide systematic pattern of serious physical and sexual abuse of Palestinians across the (occupied) West Bank and for Gaza,” Maynard tell TRT World.

“This behaviour dey designed to break the spirit of the Palestinian people and e clearly show say na core part of their policy of forced displacement of Palestinian people and ethnic cleansing,” e add.

For March 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry conclude say sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians dey increasingly used as method of war.

Dem find say forced public stripping, sexual harassment and assault na part of the standard operating procedures of Israeli security forces, and sexualised torture dey happen with clear orders or with tacit encouragement from senior civilian and military leaders.

The Commission document pattern of sexual violence, torture and other inhumane acts wey fit amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The evidence include rape and sexual assault against Palestinian detainees, attacks wey target their genitals, threats of rape against detainees and their family members, and repeated strip searches wey dem do for degrading ways.

Life-altering injuries

The documented abuse against Palestinian detainees include sexual violence and beatings wey leave people with serious and sometimes permanent injuries.

For one documented case, one Palestinian detainee get rectal rupture wey need surgery and the making of a stoma.

Other accounts describe detainees wey lose one or both testicles after beatings wey target their genitals.

The abuse no stop for detention.

For Gaza, Palestinian men, women and children suffer prolonged forced nudity during Israeli military operations, including make dem walk naked for public.

Israeli soldiers also photograph and film Palestinian women underwear for houses dem raid, then dem post the images online to shame them.

The UN’s 2026 report on conflict-related sexual violence verify sexual violence against 31 Palestinian men, women and children for Gaza and the occupied West Bank across 2023 to 2025.

Nine victims suffer rape or gang rape, sometimes many times. The documented abuses include genital violence, forced nudity, threats of rape and invasive searches wey no get any clear security reason.

Maynard, wey don travel Gaza many times since 2010 including three times since October 7, 2023, talk say e see terrible atrocities like mass casualties from bombings for areas wey plenty civilians dey live, and pikin dem dey among those wey die.

While e dey work, Maynard collect detailed testimonies from two healthcare workers and one civilian wey dem abduct and detain for Israeli prisons. Their stories include descriptions of torture and sexual violence.

“I don work for hospitals with many patients wey die because resources no enough, and many of them for fit survive if resources for place.”

“The lack of enough medical resources, as direct result of the targeting of healthcare facilities and the Israeli blockade wey block adequate aid and resources from entering Gaza, mean say patients wey suffer trauma no fit get proper medical care and support, and this one include those wey suffer sexual violence,” Maynard talk.

“Those wey dem torture and those wey suffer sexual violence for Israeli detention centres and prisons dem no even get medical care while dem dey custody,” e add.

Sexual violence dey cause fear and make people leave

For Palestinians, sexual violence and threats don shape everyday life under occupation, including during military raids, for checkpoints and for displacement sites.

Reports document say women dem dey forced to undress for front of soldiers, dem suffer sexual assault and dem dey threatened with rape, sometimes dem do am for front of their children.

Other accounts describe Israeli soldiers wey expose their genitals to women and girls, while Palestinian women for the occupied West Bank dey face sexual harassment and threats from Israeli settlers.

For one study wey involve 39 displaced households for Area C of the occupied West Bank, more than 70 percent mention threats to women and children, especially sexualised violence, as key reason wey make dem comot from their homes.

The findings show how sexual violence fit help create environment of coercion and displacement, side by side with other forms of violence and intimidation wey Palestinian communities dey face.

Children still dey among those wey suffer.

For 2025, more than half of 165 Palestinian children aged 12 to 17 wey Israeli authorities detain report say dem witness or experience sexual violence for detention, including rape threats, forced stripping and genital assault, according to research wey BMJ article cite.

Underreporting and impunity

The size of documented abuse big but e still plenty things dem no report because survivors get many obstacles to report violence and to get care.

Fear of reprisals, shame, stigma and distrust of complaint systems fit make survivors no want come out. Limited access for independent investigators still dey limit how dem fit collect and verify evidence.

“We believe these abuses plenty underreported for many reasons. Victims many times refuse to report their injuries because dem fear further abuse and attacks on themselves and their families,” Maynard talk.

“E dey hard to document the full extent of sexual violence because Israel don many times refuse to allow independent investigators to see wetin dey happen,” e add.

The accountability record self cause worry.

The UN Commission find say the Israeli civilian and military justice systems no fit make people answerable for sexual crimes against Palestinians.

Of 1,260 cases of offences by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians wey military law enforcement system sabi between 2017 and 2021, only 11 end for indictments.

Neve Gordon, professor for human rights and humanitarian law for Queen Mary University of London, talk say credible allegations need independent investigation, including into those wey give orders or enable the abuse.

Sexual violence fit be war crime and, if the legal requirements fullfilled, fit be crime against humanity.

To establish criminal responsibility, investigators need to examine individual incidents, preserve evidence and find the roles of direct perpetrators and those wey dey command.

“The UN need make dem allow independent teams enter to investigate such reports of sexual violence and make sure not only say victims fit get all the specialist medical care wey dem need but also say perpetrators must face accountability,” Maynard talk.

“Western governments like the UK government get obligation under international law to prevent these violations and to make sure international humanitarian law dey respected.”

“These governments must do more to protect Palestinians and must insist on independent monitoring and investigation,” e add.