Fierce Israeli campaign against 'New York Times' after it exposed atrocities of sexual torture against detainees

Accusations against the Israeli occupation government have escalated, alleging attempts to obscure facts and silence international voices revealing the extent of grave violations against Palestinians in detention centers. These moves follow an organized campaign launched by Tel Aviv against the American newspaper 'New York Times', in response to an investigative report that exposed systematic torture and sexual violence practices inside prisons.

Media sources reported that the Israeli attack primarily aims to protect the system of violations and raise the political and legal cost for any party attempting to document crimes committed behind bars. Human rights circles considered the Israeli reaction to reflect a state of continuous denial despite the accumulation of evidence and testimonies condemning the practices of the army and the prison service.

Nicholas Kristof's report in the 'New York Times' documented shocking testimonies from Palestinian men, women, and children, who spoke of being subjected to rape and deliberate humiliation. Testimonies indicated the involvement of soldiers, prison guards, and interrogators in these assaults, which human rights organizations described as having transformed the prison system into a network of 'torture camps'.

For its part, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly rejected the report's contents outright, describing it as falling under 'Hamas propaganda'. The matter did not stop at denial; the ministry even threatened to sue the American newspaper, a move observers considered an attempt to intimidate the international press and prevent it from covering the issue of prisoners.

In a related context, Israeli officials and commentators resorted to using inflammatory terms such as 'blood libel' to describe human rights reports, with explicit calls to close the offices of newspapers that publish these facts. This 'collective collapse' in official Israeli discourse reflects a desire to fully control the narrative concerning Palestinian suffering in the public sphere.

The human rights organization 'B'Tselem' confirmed that it had collected testimonies from released detainees confirming the existence of an integrated system of abuse, including starvation and psychological and physical torture. Detainees spoke of brutal practices including forced nudity and severe beatings on sensitive areas, in addition to the use of police dogs to assault prisoners while they were naked.

Reports cited the testimony of detainee Ibrahim Fouda, who described horrific scenes of detainees subjected to direct sexual assaults that led to some being transferred for urgent surgical operations. These testimonies reinforce international fears about the fate of thousands of detained Palestinians who face imminent danger to their lives and physical safety.

Statistics indicate the death of more than 88 Palestinian detainees inside Israeli prisons since October 2023, an unprecedented number in the history of the prisoner movement. Human rights activists believe that these deaths are not mere accidental incidents, but rather a natural result of the dehumanization policy practiced against Palestinians in all detention centers.

Regarding mechanisms of impunity, the case of the 'Sde Teiman' detainee emerged as a stark example, where a sexual assault against a detainee was documented by surveillance cameras. Despite the clear evidence, political and popular pressures within Israel led to the release of the implicated soldiers and the dropping of charges against them permanently.

The return of these soldiers to military service last March by decision of the Chief of Staff caused widespread shock, especially after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed this step. Netanyahu considered that prosecuting soldiers accused of sexual assault harms the army, emphasizing the need to protect those he described as 'heroes'.

Analysts believe that the only punishment imposed in the 'Sde Teiman' case affected the military lawyer who leaked the video recordings, confirming that the Israeli judicial system is designed to protect perpetrators, not victims. This approach reinforces an environment of impunity and encourages the continuation of violations without fear of international accountability.

These sexual and physical assaults come as part of a 'broader war' targeting the Palestinian presence, coinciding with military operations in Gaza and the escalation of settler violence in the West Bank. This systematic violence aims to break the will of Palestinians and normalize a system that deprives them of the most basic rights to legal and moral protection.

Reports also noted that Israeli targeting is not limited to the 'New York Times', but extends to all medical, human rights, and journalistic personnel who try to convey the truth. This is evident in the targeting of journalists in the Gaza Strip and preventing foreign correspondents from entering, as well as laws that legalize the closure of media outlets.

Sources concluded that the angry Israeli reactions confirm that the issue is no longer about the availability of evidence, but about the international community's readiness to hold this system accountable. The fundamental truth that Israel is trying to obscure remains that Palestinians are human beings who deserve protection and justice, away from policies of oppression and denial.

Netanyahu celebrated the decision to acquit the soldiers involved in sexual assaults and considered the case a 'blood libel', stressing that Israel must pursue its enemies, not its fighters.