UN experts have expressed deep concern regarding reports of "rape and threats of sexual assault" by Israeli forces during the arbitrary detention of Palestinian women and girls. This was stated in a joint statement signed by UN rapporteurs, who described the reported human rights violations against women and girls in Palestine, which is under siege and intense Israeli attacks, as "appalling."
The statement confirmed that there are compelling claims of horrific human rights violations faced by women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank. It added: "Reports indicate that women and girls in Gaza have been subjected to extrajudicial killings, often alongside their family members. We are shocked by reports stating that Palestinian women and girls are deliberately targeted and executed extrajudicially in shelters or while fleeing." According to reports, some women were shot while raising white flags by the Israeli military or its affiliated forces.
The statement also mentioned that Palestinian women in detention have faced "various sexual abuses" by Israeli officers, highlighting that these reports are alarming. It continued: "At least two Palestinian detainees are reported to have been raped, while others have been threatened with rape and sexual violence."
