Multiple Reports allege Israeli prison service and IDF committed Sexual Violence against Palestinian Journalists, Prisoners

Sexual Violence Against Palestinian Journalists and Prisoners in Israeli Detention

A harrowing pattern of abuse has emerged from Israeli detention facilities since October 2023, with Palestinian journalists and prisoners recounting systematic torture, starvation, and sexual violence at the hands of their captors. A recent investigation by the Committee to Protect Journalists documents allegations that dozens of detained media workers were subjected to rape, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence as part of a broader campaign of intimidation and punishment.

Among the most disturbing accounts is that of Sami al-Sai, a journalist who reported for Al Jazeera Mubasher and Al-Fajer TV. He described being taken to a small cell in Megiddo prison, where soldiers removed his clothing and penetrated him with batons and other objects. Al-Sai said he did not speak to anyone inside the prison about what happened, except for two senior detainees who had been imprisoned for 25 years—a silence that echoes across many testimonies, where shame, fear of reprisal, and the trauma of violation have kept survivors from speaking out.

The allegations extend beyond Palestinian journalists. In December 2025, German journalist Anne Liedtke, detained while aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla, alleged that Israeli soldiers raped her while she was in custody. Italian journalist Vincenzo Fullone and Australian activist Surya McEwen made similar accusations, suggesting that sexual violence has been used against international observers as well as Palestinian detainees.

A Pattern of Systematic Abuse

The Committee to Protect Journalists reviewed testimonies from 59 Palestinian journalists released from Israeli detention between October 2023 and January 2026. Of those interviewed, 58 reported being subjected to what they described as torture while in custody. While conditions varied across facilities, the methods recounted were strikingly consistent: physical assaults, forced stress positions, sensory deprivation, sexual violence, and deliberate medical neglect.

Sexual violence appears repeatedly in these accounts, described not as isolated acts of misconduct but as intentional tactics to humiliate, terrorize, and break detainees. Journalists spoke of assaults designed to inflict lasting psychological scars, with threats of rape used to extract confessions or silence reporting. In several cases, detainees described being forced into prolonged nudity, subjected to invasive searches without cause, or threatened with sexual harm against themselves or family members.

The use of sexual violence aligns with broader documentation from human rights organizations. Reports from Physicians for Human Rights–Israel, Amnesty International, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have detailed cases of sexual torture, including genital abuse, simulated rape, and threats of sexual violence against both men and women in detention. These acts, experts note, constitute war crimes under international law when committed systematically against persons in custody.

The Machinery of Detention

Many of the journalists interviewed were held under Israel's administrative detention system, which permits imprisonment without charge for renewable six-month periods. Forty-eight of the 59 journalists CPJ interviewed were never formally charged, leaving them in legal limbo with limited recourse to challenge their detention or report abuse.

Detainees described a deliberate strategy of dehumanization. At Ofer prison, radio journalist Mohammad al-Atrash recounted a coordinated mass assault in November 2023 that detainees called "a Shin Bet party" or a "Ben-Gvir party," named after Israel's far-right national security minister. He stated that trained dogs were ordered to attack detainees and metal instruments were used to inflict lasting wounds. Osama al-Sayed of Al-Aqsa TV described intermittent electroshocking and pepper spray between beatings, often escalating after visits by senior officials.

Eleven journalists cited a torture method known as strappado, or "ghost hanging," in which a person is suspended by arms bound behind their back and pulled upward—a position that causes extreme pain and can lead to permanent nerve damage. Combined with sexual humiliation, such techniques appear designed to maximize physical and psychological suffering.

The Physical Toll

The physical consequences of detention have been stark. Fifty-five of the 59 journalists interviewed reported extreme hunger or malnutrition. By comparing reported weights before and after detention, researchers calculated an average weight loss of 23.5 kilograms (52 pounds). Photographs provided as evidence show dramatic transformations: men with gaunt faces, protruding ribs, and hollowed cheeks.

Journalist Mohammad Badr said he was struck so hard his tongue was cut, leaving him unable to speak or eat for two weeks; he lost 40 kilograms over 10 months of incarceration. Ahmed Shaqoura, a reporter from Palestine Today TV, lost 54 kilograms during 14 months in custody. These conditions of deliberate starvation compound the trauma of sexual violence, weakening detainees physically and mentally while denying them adequate medical care for injuries sustained during abuse.

Denial and the Demand for Accountability

Israeli authorities have categorically rejected the allegations. A spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service stated that any concrete complaint submitted through official channels is examined by competent authorities according to established procedures. The Israel Defense Forces similarly asserted that it "completely rejects allegations regarding the systematic abuse of detainees, including allegations of sexual abuse," adding that disciplinary measures are taken and criminal investigations initiated when there is reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.

Yet detainees and human rights monitors report significant barriers to accountability. Complaints are often dismissed, investigations lack independence, and detainees face retaliation for speaking out. The use of administrative detention and the denial of timely access to lawyers further isolate victims and obstruct documentation of abuse.

The stakes extend beyond individual cases. Physicians for Human Rights–Israel has documented at least 94 Palestinian deaths in Israeli custody since October 2023, with evidence pointing to deaths caused by torture and medical neglect. Leaked surveillance footage from the Sde Teiman detention camp in early 2025 appeared to show soldiers sexually assaulting detainees, triggering a national scandal in Israel and underscoring concerns about oversight and impunity.

A Call for Independent Investigation

Human rights organizations are calling for immediate action. They urge the international community to demand independent, impartial investigations into all allegations of torture and sexual violence in Israeli detention facilities. They emphasize the need for unrestricted access by UN special rapporteurs, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other neutral monitors to all places of detention.

For survivors, accountability is not abstract. It means recognition of their suffering, justice for perpetrators, and guarantees that such abuses will not be repeated. As one released journalist stated: "We returned from hell." The testimonies they have shared—of beatings, starvation, and sexual violence—are not merely accounts of individual trauma but evidence of a system that has enabled abuse on a wide scale.

The international community faces a critical choice: to treat these allegations as isolated incidents or to confront them as part of a documented pattern requiring urgent intervention. Under international humanitarian law, the prohibition of torture and sexual violence is absolute. Upholding that principle demands more than statements of concern; it requires concrete steps to end impunity, protect detainees, and ensure that those who bear witness to conflict can do so without fear of torture, rape, or death behind bars.