A week after an investigation exposed the sexual abuse and exploitation of desperate and aid-seeking Palestinian women in Gaza, who face the threat from Hamas, the aid system, and societal neglect, major outlets and “pro-Palestine” activist groups ignored it entirely.
Instead of addressing the findings, many dismissed the reporting, defended Hamas, or simply looked away.
Now, however, a Guardian story alleging sexual offenses by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the West Bank is receiving widespread attention, commentary, and engagement.
The issue isn’t whether sexual harassment and abuse by Israelis occurs; it undoubtedly has.
The problem is the stark double standard: silence when Palestinians harm Palestinians, outrage only when Israel is the perpetrator.
Nearly 90% of Gaza’s 2.2 million people have been displaced, many losing homes, income, and basic security. In such conditions, vulnerable women and children are at obvious risk of exploitation.
Yet their sexual abuse and suffering drew no meaningful response from “pro‑Palestine” activists, human‑rights groups, international bodies, or governments.
The timing of the Guardian piece, just days after the Daily Mail’s investigation into sexual abuse and early marriages in Gaza, suggests an effort to redirect attention back to Israeli wrongdoing rather than confront serious, internal problems in Gaza.
It functions as a way to deflect from sexual offenses committed by Hamas and others, and to shield those responsible from scrutiny.
By Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
By Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
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