Rape threats against Palestinians by illegal settlers become common after Sde Teiman incident

ANKARA

Following a sexual assault by Israeli soldiers on a Palestinian detainee last month, rape threats against Palestinians by illegal settlers have become commonplace.

Illegal Israeli settlers continue to attack Palestinians and encroach on their properties without any control but with the protection of the Israeli army throughout the occupied West Bank.

On Monday, the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem released a report documenting an incident that took place on August 4 in Khirbet Wadi a-Rakhim, in the South Hebron Hills in the southern West Bank, when masked settlers brought cows “to graze in a field belonging to the (Palestinian) Harini family, near the community’s homes.”

The video released by B’Tselem shows the masked settlers threatening the family and claiming that their home and land belong to them.

A settler verbally harassed the Palestinian landowner and made implicit threats of rape against him.

“You are adorable. You are my dog. You are so fresh,” the settler harassed the Palestinian.

“I will be happy to sit with you in prison one day. I will be happy. You know Sde Teiman,” added the settler, identified by B’Tselem as Shem Tov Luski, in reference to the sexual assault last month by a group of Israeli soldiers against a Palestinian detainee in Sde Teiman prison.

“Rape for God’s sake, as they say. You know what I mean,” the settler also said.

Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have increased since October 7, according to Palestinian sources. Nearly 20 Palestinians have been killed and more than 785 others injured in the attacks.

The methods used by illegal settlers ranged from live ammunition to beatings, throwing stones at vehicles and attacks on homes, families and farmers.

The total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank since October 7 by the Israeli army and settlers stands at 652, in addition to more than 5,400 others injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark advisory opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory “illegal” and called for the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Written by Ahmed Asmar​​​​​​​

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