Recent testimonies reported by Haaretz reveal a troubling increase in sexual harassment by Israeli Occupation soldiers at checkpoints in Hebron, a city in the occupied West Bank.

On August 17, a young Palestinian woman reported that an Israeli soldier exposed himself to her at the Tamar checkpoint in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood.

The soldier allegedly instructed her to open her bag and then lowered part of his trousers while making lewd comments.

Shocked and distressed, the woman left the checkpoint and later described the experience as feeling like a "slap."

The woman reported the incident to Basam Abu Aisha, a local community leader, who contacted a senior civil administration official. The official accompanied her to the checkpoint where she identified her harasser.

However, Abu Aisha claimed he faced threats from a civil administration officer, Shadi Shubash, who dismissed the woman's account as a "lie" and warned him against further involvement.

Other women have also reported similar mistreatment.

One woman said a soldier took photos of her and her sister at the checkpoint, while another described being forced to open her phone under duress.

Many women have also faced verbal abuse and, in some cases, been required to remove clothing or hijabs due to newly installed metal detectors.

A June UN report accused Israeli authorities of systematically subjecting Palestinian women and girls to sexual violence, including forced nudity and public stripping.

The report suggested these abuses are part of broader operational procedures intended to humiliate and degrade Palestinians.