‘They used dogs’: New Al Jazeera film exposes Israel’s use of rape in jails

Al Jazeera · 🇶🇦 public Qatar · Jun 09, 2026 · 2122 words · By Simon Speakman Cordall; Awad Joumaa

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Human rights violations International law and accountability

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What to know about Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

‘They used dogs’: New Al Jazeera film exposes Israel’s use of rape in jails Former detainees detail systematic torture and sexual violence, including rape, while in Israeli custody.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

‘They used dogs’: New Al Jazeera film exposes Israel’s use of rape in jails Former detainees detail systematic torture and sexual violence, including rape, while in Israeli custody.

Why it matters

Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual assault that some readers may find disturbing.

Common ground

Muhammad al-Bakri specifically remembers the date of his rape.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Anger: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Israeli-Palestinian Conflict story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was fighting what he called “human animals”?
How does this story connect Israeli-Palestinian Conflict with Human rights violations over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/they-were-laughing-israels-use-of-rape-a…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 95% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Appeal to Anger 80% confidence

Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

schedule Pending 4

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was fighting what he called “human animals””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “No soldiers or guards have been convicted of sexual abuse of Palestinians.”

CORROBORATED

Evidence shows that charges against soldiers accused of sexual abuse at Sde Teiman were dropped in March 2026, supporting the claim that convictions have not been achieved in these high-profile cases.

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web search NEUTRAL — During the ongoing Gaza war, Israeli male and female soldiers, guards and medical staff have reportedly committed wartime sexual violence against ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_and_gender-based_violen…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 12, 2026 ... The Israeli military's top lawyer cites "exceptional circumstances" for dropping the case involving a Palestinian man held at Sde Teiman ...
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2xrz71zm3o

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 12, 2026 ... TRT World - Israeli army drops charges against soldiers accused of sexually abusing Palestinian in... The Israeli military claims "procedural" ...
https://www.facebook.com/trtworld/posts/israels-military-say…

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Claim 3: “Last July, Israel dropped all charges against the guards.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and news reports, confirm that the IDF dropped sexual assault charges against soldiers involved in the Sde Teiman case on March 12, 2026.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In late July 2024, a Palestinian prisoner in Sde Teiman was hospitalised with a ruptured bowel and a severe injury to his anus. He had also suffered from lung damage and broken ribs. Yoel Donchin, a d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sde_Teiman_gang_rape

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel, fought as part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts. The war began on 7 October 2023, when the Palestinian mi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sde Teiman (Hebrew: שדה תימן) is an Israeli military base located in the Negev desert near the border with the Gaza Strip. During the Gaza war, it gained international attention for systemic human rig…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sde_Teiman_detention_camp

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Rights groups such as the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor have also documented testimonies of prisoners recounting how Israeli soldiers used dogs to rape them.”

CORROBORATED

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is explicitly cited as documenting testimonies of systematic rape, and multiple sources mention the use of dogs in these abuses.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — During the ongoing Gaza war, Israeli male and female soldiers, guards and medical staff have reportedly committed wartime sexual violence against Palestinian women, children and men including rape, ga…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_and_gender-based_violen…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaza genocide is the ongoing, intentional, and systematic destruction of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip carried out by Israel during the Gaza war. It encompasses mass killings, the targe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_genocide

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The state of human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is determined by Palestinian as well as Israeli policies, which affect Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories both directly and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Palestine

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “The female officer who allegedly leaked the video of the attack, Major-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, was subsequently arrested.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned and was arrested/investigated for leaking the video of the abuse of a Palestinian detainee.

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web search NEUTRAL — Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, until recently the chief attorney for the Israeli army, is now under arrest for her role in leaking a video showing the sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee, …
https://www.elciudadano.com/en/israels-legal-chief-arrested-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned on Friday, admitting her role in leaking the video.Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned as the Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0kpd97qqko

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web search NEUTRAL — Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi reportedly acknowledged that her office released video of troops abusing a Palestinian detainee.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/5/israels-focus-on-po…

verified

Claim 6: “Israel detained 10 security officers after a video of the rape of a prisoner was leaked from the Sde Teiman detention camp in the Negev desert in July 2024.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries for 'Sde Teiman detention camp' and 'Sde Teiman gang rape' confirm the location in the Negev desert and the occurrence of a rape case in late July 2024 involving a Palestinian prisoner.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “attempts by international bodies, including the UN’s bid to investigate the allegations of sexual abuse in January 2025, were actively blocked by Israel.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 8: “In May, Israel was added to the UN “blacklist of sexual violence in conflict zones”.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is corroborated by a cross-reference from The Hindu and multiple web search results (including Reuters) stating Israel was added to the UN blacklist of sexual violence in conflict zones on May 29, 2026.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Israel and Russia both deny the use of sexual violence by their military. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said the country had cut ties with the UN secretary general, António Guterres, in …
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/29/un-israel-russ…

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web search NEUTRAL — GENEVA, May 29 (Reuters) - Israel's ambassador to the United Nations said his country had been added to a U.N. blacklist of sexual violence in conflict zones, alongside Hamas. "This is a political dec…
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/un-place-israel…

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web search NEUTRAL — The United Nations has reportedly added Israeli entities to its blacklist of offenders responsible for sexual violence in conflict zones.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/05/28/769412/Palestine-UN…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 9: “A UN report published in March 2025 found evidence of the “systematic” use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence by Israel since October 7, 2023.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm the existence of a UN report published in March 2025 regarding gender-based violence by Israel, which Israeli officials labeled as 'antisemitic'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An ongoing conflict between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel began on 8 October 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets and artillery at Israeli positions following Hamas's October 7 att…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah–Israel_conflict_(202…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the so…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 10: “The attack of October 7, 2023, during which 1,139 people were killed and about 250 abducted”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the specific numbers provided in the claim were not in the search snippets, Wikipedia confirms the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas as the start of the war. The numbers cited are standard widely reported figures for the event.

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Claim 11: “Israel is pursuing the forcible displacement of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank at a rapid pace, in defiance of the paper ceasefire imposed upon Israel by United States President Donald Trump in October 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 12: “Al Jazeera [produced] a documentary investigation into what International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, the United Nations and its special rapporteur on the occupied territories, Francesca Albanese, say amounts to the widespread and systematic use of rape and sexual torture by the Israeli army against Palestinians.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm Al Jazeera produced a film exposing systematic torture and sexual violence, including rape, in Israeli custody, and reference the roles of Francesca Albanese and the ICC.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Francesca Paola Albanese (Italian: [franˈtʃeska ˈpaːola albaˈneːze, -eːse]; born 30 March 1977) is an Italian legal scholar and expert on human rights. She has served as the United Nations (UN) Specia…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesca_Albanese

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “Asked in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in July 2024 whether it was ever legitimate to rape a prisoner, Hanoch Milwidsky, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, shouted: “Yes.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the statement attributed to Hanoch Milwidsky in the Knesset.

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Claim 14: “Israeli President Isaac Herzog had no issue with “unequivocally” blaming all Palestinians for the Hamas-led attack on October 7”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.