The Weaponization of Sexual Violence

Genocide and Terror in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Abstract

This research investigates the weaponization of sexual violence as a strategic tool within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing its role in perpetuating terror, dismantling social structures, and amplifying genocide. Sexual violence in conflict extends beyond individual harm, functioning as a mechanism of control that fragments societies and suppresses resistance. The study situates this phenomenon within theoretical frameworks of settler colonialism, necropolitics, and biopolitical control, arguing that sexual violence is deliberately embedded within systemic structures of oppression. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, human rights reports, and firsthand accounts, the paper highlights the calculated use of sexual violence by Israeli forces to destabilize Palestinian communities, suppress resistance, and reinforce domination. Key findings underscore the normalization of sexual violence within settler colonial frameworks, its profound psychological and social impacts on Palestinian women, and its strategic use to instill fear and suppress resistance. This study frames sexual violence as an extension of necropolitical governance, asserting control over Palestinian lives through psychological trauma and societal fragmentation. By exposing the systemic nature of this violence, the research underscores its broader implications for understanding state-sanctioned oppression and its genocidal dimensions. Future research and advocacy are vital for amplifying survivors’ voices and fostering accountability within the international community.