A report by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and findings presented by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese have highlighted serious allegations of sexual violence, torture and humiliation against Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention facilities.
The report, titled Another Genocide Behind Walls, was published on April 12, 2026. It draws on testimonies from Palestinian detainees released from Israeli custody and documents allegations of rape, genital mutilation, physical torture and the use of trained dogs during interrogations.
According to the report, these incidents reflect a systematic pattern of sexual violence rather than isolated cases of misconduct.
Detainees Describe Sexual Abuse Using Trained Dogs
The Euro-Med report includes the testimony of Wajdi, a 43-year-old former Palestinian detainee who spent a year in Israeli custody.
He told researchers that Israeli soldiers stripped him naked, tied him to a metal bed and sexually assaulted him during interrogation. He also alleged that soldiers brought in a trained dog that sexually assaulted him. According to his testimony, the abuse was repeated several times.
The report also documents the account of a 48-year-old detainee identified as A.J., who alleged that an interrogator subjected him to severe genital torture and attempted to insert an object into his penis. He said he later regained consciousness in hospital and learned that his testicles had been surgically removed.
Other former detainees described alleged sexual assaults involving metal rods, rifle butts, fire extinguisher nozzles and wooden objects. The reported injuries included internal damage, severe anal injuries and permanent impairment of reproductive functions.
Euro-Med Monitor researcher Khaled Ahmad said documenting sexual violence was extremely difficult because many survivors feared the social and cultural consequences of disclosing their experiences. He added that the actual number of victims was believed to be higher than the cases documented in the report.
UN Expert Accuses Israel of Institutionalising Torture
In March 2026, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese submitted a report titled Torture and Genocide to the UN Human Rights Council.
The report draws on more than 300 testimonies collected by different organisations, alongside consultations with survivors, legal experts and Israeli whistleblowers.
Albanese described Israel’s detention system as a “laboratory of calculated cruelty” and said torture had become a structural feature of the detention system.
She also identified National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as a senior official whose policies, according to her findings, helped institutionalise torture, humiliation and degrading treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
The UN expert called for investigations into alleged crimes under international law and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue accountability for those responsible.
Israel has rejected allegations of systematic abuse and has repeatedly denied independent UN monitors access to its detention facilities.
Israel Drops Charges Against Five Soldiers
The report also highlights the case of five Israeli soldiers from Force 100 accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility on July 5, 2024.
On March 12, 2026, the Israeli military dropped all charges against the five soldiers.
The original indictment described serious injuries allegedly inflicted on the detainee, including broken ribs, a punctured lung and internal injuries caused by an object inserted near his rectum.
The Military Advocate General cited exceptional circumstances affecting the prosecution and difficulties surrounding the available evidence, including the detainee’s release to Gaza.
On March 13, Amnesty International criticised the decision to drop the charges. Its senior director for research, advocacy and policy, Erika Guevara Rosas, described the move as another example of what she called longstanding impunity within Israel’s legal system.
The case has renewed concerns among human rights organisations about accountability for alleged abuses against Palestinian detainees and the need for independent investigations.
