Rabat – A study released Monday by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) examines how the exploitation of gender dynamics and sexual violence drives further displacement in the West Bank.
Researchers for the West Bank Protection Consortium interviewed 83 individuals across 10 Palestinian communities selected based on documented exposure to settler violence, movement restrictions, and displacement efforts.
Of the 83 interviews, there were at least 16 reports of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) over the last three years. The authors note that this figure is likely an underestimate due to the shame and stigma perceived by survivors.
Reported abuses include sexual harassment, threats of rape, invasive searches, and verbal sexual humiliation, often occurring at checkpoints, during raids, or in detention settings.
Escalating impact on women and families
The Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC) said women in the occupied West Bank had increasingly reported forced penetration and abuse during searches by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
Survivors described living in constant fear, with some reporting that even routine activities such as traveling to school or work carry the risk of abuse.
In efforts to avoid encounters with the IOF, some Palestinian girls are dropping out of school, while some women have even stopped working altogether.
“Girls aren’t going to schools, and you see early, forced marriages. These are minors, but we know their mothers and fathers are trying to protect them by sending them out of the area,” said Kifaya Khraim, the advocacy unit manager at WCLAC.
In response, many families have restricted women’s mobility and adopted methods they believe will protect their daughters. At least six families interviewed for the study had arranged weddings for girls aged 15-17 to remove them from the environment.
The interviews illustrate an increasing invasion by the IOF into private life. Field monitors and community members described the shift of assaults from public spaces to private and domestic settings.
As attacks increasingly move into homes, the already pervasive nature of the crimes are described as a “ profound violation of dignity and family integrity within local social norms.”
International law, forced displacement, and accountability concerns
Under international law, CRSV is recognized as a potential war crime and a tool of coercion and displacement.
A report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) last year warned that “evidence collected by the Commission reveals a deplorable increase in sexual and gender-based violence.”
In March 2025, Palestinians shared harrowing testimonies and photo evidence at the public hearings of the United Nations’ Independent Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“There is no escape from the conclusion that Israel has employed sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians to terrorise them and perpetuate a system of oppression that undermines their right to self-determination,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission.
Israeli authorities have previously denied systematic wrongdoing and maintain that any misconduct by soldiers is subject to investigation.
However, the recent dropped charges in a high profile case where a video circulated publicly showing five soldiers brutally raping an inmate at the Sde Teiman military detention camp has raised concerns among rights groups about impunity.
While reports of sexual violence are not new, Monday’s study highlights escalating settler violence and coercive efforts to force Palestinians from their land.
“Sexualized violence is used to pressure communities, shape decisions about remaining or leaving their homes and land, and alter patterns of daily life,” the report reads.
Since January 2023, settler violence has been linked to the displacement of 1,037 Palestinian households, comprising over 5,600 people.
Over 84% of the surveyed households were affected by settler violence and more than 70% of displaced households listed threats to women and children, particularly sexual violence, as the primary reason for relocating.
The findings come amid broader concerns about displacement across Palestinian territories, including shifting military boundaries and restrictions on movement.
The number of Palestinians displaced in the first three months of 2026 due to settler violence and access restriction placed by IOF reached 1,697 – exceeding the total for all of 2025.
