NYT report says Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees is 'widespread'

A New York Times report has found that sexual violence by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators against Palestinian detainees is "widespread."

The investigation, published Monday, is based on testimonies from 14 men and women in the occupied West Bank who said they were sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces. Israel's foreign ministry strongly rejected the findings.

What did the NYT report find about sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees?

The report, written by columnist Nicholas Kristof, describes a pattern of abuse carried out by soldiers, settlers, Shin Bet interrogators and prison guards against Palestinian detainees.

Specific accounts include a man sexually assaulted with a rubber baton and another left in severe pain after a guard squeezed his genitals. The report states there is no evidence Israeli leaders ordered rapes.

What sources does the NYT investigation rely on?

The investigation draws on testimonies gathered in the occupied West Bank from 14 men and women.

It also cites a United Nations report released in March last year, which describes sexual violence as one of Israel's "standard operating procedures."

Israeli authorities, according to the report, ordered released prisoners to stay silent about their treatment.

The investigation notes that conservative social norms further suppress reporting of abuse. Two victims said admitting to rape would damage marriage prospects for their sisters and daughters.

This dynamic, the report argues, means the true scale of abuse is likely underreported.

How has Israel responded to the NYT report?

Israel's foreign ministry called the report "one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press."

In a statement on X, it accused Kristof of turning "the victim into the accused" through what it described as baseless lies. The ministry also characterized the piece as part of "a false and well-orchestrated anti-Israel campaign."

What is the broader context of sexual violence allegations in the conflict?

Israeli forces have detained thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which triggered Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

A separate report released Tuesday by an independent Israeli investigative commission concluded that Hamas and its allies committed "systematic, widespread" sexual violence during the October 7 attack and against hostages taken to Gaza. Hamas has repeatedly denied those accusations since 2023.

In February, the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned what it described as "systematic abuse," including sexual violence, against Palestinian journalists held in Israeli prisons between October 2023 and January 2026.

An Israeli military spokesperson said at the time that detainees were treated "in accordance with international law."