UN expert condemns Israeli response to sexual abuse allegations

Francesca Albanese criticised Israel’s foreign ministry after it described a New York Times article documenting alleged sexual abuse against Palestinians in Israeli prisons as “hideous and distorted lies” and announced plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper.

In a series of posts on X, Albanese described the article as “accurate but barely scratching the surface” and said it was “triggering hysteria” within the Israeli government, "not because of the facts, but because of the audience”.

She added, “apartheid Israel fears NYT readers will finally see and no longer ignore.”

In a thread of 22 posts, Albanese referred to reports and investigations documenting alleged sexual violence against Palestinians in Israeli detention, saying the material focused mainly on abuses documented since October 2023, while arguing that “the reality is far older”.

“Sexual violence against Palestinians has been documented since the very foundation of the Israeli state, but this is nothing the NYT spoke about – so far," she wrote.

🧵on 'NYT rift' 1/22 A NYT article on sexual abuse against Palestinians -accurate but barely scratching the surface- is triggering hysteria in the Israeli govt not bcs of the facts, but bcs of the audience. Apartheid Israel fears NYT readers will finally see and no longer ignore. https://t.co/NsmWjMYHKL

— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) May 15, 2026