Khaberni - A report released by the "West Bank Protection Union" reveals that Israeli soldiers and settlers systematically use sexual violence and harassment to force Palestinians to leave their homes in the occupied West Bank.
The report, published last Sunday under the title "Sexual Violence and Forced Transfer in the West Bank," documents at least 16 cases of sexual violence related to the conflict over the past three years. The researchers indicated that the actual number is likely much higher, as survivors often remain silent due to shame, dishonor, and fear of retaliation.
The victims who chose to report their complaints described harassment, assault, and intimidation within their homes, including: "forced stripping, invasive body cavity searches, exposure of minors' genitals, and threats of rape", as reported by men and boys, including forced stripping, sexual humiliation, and degrading treatment.
More than 70% of the displaced families surveyed cited threats against women and children, particularly sexual violence, as a decisive reason for leaving their homes and communities.
The report quotes a community member saying: "What prompted me to decide to move was the harassment that my wife, daughters, and daughter-in-law were subjected to," adding that when he and his son would go to work, settlers often pursued the women, whistled derogatorily, and threw stones, continuing: "I was terrified that something bad might happen to my family because of this ongoing violence by the settlers when I am away."
The report, presented by the "West Bank Protection Union" - a group consisting of international humanitarian organizations - attributes some cases to Israeli soldiers and others to settlers, noting that settlers' abuse often occurs under the watch of the Israeli forces, who do not intervene or effectively investigate those responsible. The report asserts that the sexual violence is not incidental but is described as "a deliberate tactic for displacement".
Despite the grim reality of these sexual assaults, families have adopted coping strategies that included "sending women and children away from areas of tension, pulling girls out of school, and arranging early marriages to reduce exposure to harm".
These findings come at a time when Israel rushed to seize land in the West Bank, where it agreed last February to register large areas of land as "government property" for the first time since 1967, enabling further settlement expansion, and was welcomed by Israeli nationalist hardliners as a "real revolution" to tighten Tel Aviv's control over the area.
The Israeli government has long sought to annex the West Bank, despite widespread international opposition to this move, including from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Palestinian presidency has strongly condemned the Israeli incursion into Palestinian territories, noting that the recent land capture "effectively nullifies many of the signed agreements and openly contradicts resolutions of the United Nations Security Council."
