Israel has strongly protested a New York Times article that alleged systematic sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. The country’s foreign ministry described the report as one of the most horrific “blood libels” in modern media history. The article, written by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Nicholas Kristof, detailed accounts of sexual violence against Palestinian prisoners, including minors, by Israeli soldiers, interrogators, and prison guards.

Citing interviews from the occupied West Bank, Kristof claimed such abuse had become a routine practice within Israel’s security apparatus. The report stated that while there was no evidence Israeli leaders directly ordered rape, sexual violence had become a “standard operating procedure.” Drawing on data from the United Nations and human rights organizations, Kristof alleged that these acts were widespread and part of state policy.

Last month, UN experts described sexual violence against Palestinians as a central element of Israeli occupation and a tool of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Israel has consistently denied all such allegations.