Elias Akleh’s report exposes the savage, systematic torture and sexual abuse Palestinian prisoners suffer at the hands of Israeli forces.
A leaked video from Sde Teiman prison showing Israeli soldiers and a dog raping and torturing a Palestinian prisoner has finally uncovered decades of hidden horrors Palestinians endured, silenced by the shame of sexual violence.
The release of a controversial video has sparked significant outrage across Israel, but the anger stems not from the acts depicted, but from the exposure of these abuses. Large crowds gathered outside the Supreme Court in an unusual protest, advocating for the protection of soldiers’ so-called “right to rape Palestinians” and demanding repercussions for Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the individual responsible for leaking the footage. Shockingly, prominent figures in politics and the media have come forward to defend the soldiers involved, with Israel’s finance minister even labeling them as national heroes.
According to testimonies compiled by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, a harrowing pattern of abuse emerges, including forced nudity, electrocution, repeated sexual assaults, videotaped violations, and the involvement of objects and trained dogs in these acts of violence. Their comprehensive 129-page report, based on 153 testimonies, portrays Israeli prisons as centers of torture where sexual violence is systematically employed as a means of control and oppression.
This situation is not an isolated incident, but rather indicative of a deeply troubling culture that seems to flaunt these atrocities. Soldiers frequently share videos online, mocking their victims by donning stolen Palestinian women’s clothing and boasting about their actions on social media. Concurrently, Israeli politicians and media outlets propagate misinformation to excuse their war crimes, often falsely accusing Hamas of the very offenses they commit without consequence.
The stark reality is that the Israeli military’s practices of torture and sexual violence are tactical measures employed against Palestinians. This report, alongside the accompanying videos, serves as critical documentation of the brutalities that Israel attempts to conceal, yet can no longer plausibly deny.
The truth is clear: the Israeli military’s policy of torture and sexual violence is a weapon against Palestinians. This report and the videos it includes are essential documents that expose the horror Israel tries to hide but can no longer deny.
