Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) admitted in a recent statement that its November 2023 position paper on sexual violence has proven to be untrue.
The international media relied heavily as evidence of false allegations of rape against Hamas resistance fighters during Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. In consequence, any conclusions and aimed solely at “raising awareness” of the issue. The group acknowledged in the statement:
“In the extensive investigations conducted in the months following the publication of the position paper in November, some testimonies referenced within it have been disputed or deemed unverifiable, and more may face similar scrutiny in the future.”
The document said the primary purpose of the position paper was to “advocate” for a full investigation into the matter and that the report sought neither to “authenticate” nor to “discredit” the allegations. The claim, amplified by this Israeli group after the events of 7 October last year and widely reported by Western media outlets, ended up being false.
“Our focus was on raising awareness of the issue, advocating for an official investigation, and pressing for immediate action to ensure that potential victims receive professional care suited to the nature of their trauma.”
Who has responsibility for discrediting this story?
Western media and social networks disseminated allegations without fact-checking. On 28 December, for instance, The New York Times conducted a so-called investigation, followed by other media reports, hundreds of news articles and interviews quoting Israeli sources and the same Israeli group. In spite of unconfirmed information, The New Yorker, New York Times, Associated Press and The Nation found PHRI’s November position paper to be proof of the 7 October sexual violence.
PHRI’s document, like other similar reports, contains no original material and relies on unsubstantiated media claims without corroboration. It also did not include any forensic evidence, survivor testimony or video evidence.
In March, Hadas Ziv, PHRI’s director of ethics and policy, also acknowledged that the position paper she co-authored had numerous problems. Ziv acknowledged that the sources were not credible and that she had not checked all available evidence. Therefore, ZAKA and its leaders, most notably Yossi Landau, were actually found to be guilty of fabricating propaganda about the atrocities of 7 October.
Investigations revealed that none of the sources cited in the PHRI paper and other media outlets who claimed to have seen dead people with signs of sexual assault had professional training to make such assessments.
Human rights organisations also warn that the Israeli regime has already “used” discredited reports of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas and “weaponised” it as a propaganda tool to justify its military campaign of genocide against Palestinians and dehumanisation of Gaza’s 2.3 million civilian population.
