Sexual Exploitation in Gaza: Women Forced to Exchange Intimacy for Aid Amid Humanitarian Crisis

"Let Me Touch You": Gaza Women Promised Food, Money, Work In Exchange For Sexual Interactions

Gaza's limited connectivity hinders the reporting of abuse cases across the territory.

A 38-year-old mother of six in Gaza thought she had found a lifeline after weeks of struggling to feed her children. At a shelter, a friend informed her about a man who could provide food, aid, and possibly employment. Having been separated from her husband and forced to close her business, she approached him seeking assistance.

About a month into the Gaza war, the man promised her a six-month contract with an aid agency. However, on the day she expected to sign employment papers, he drove her to an empty apartment instead of an office. There, he complimented her and asked her to remove her headscarf.

She recounted that while he claimed he wouldn't force her, he prevented her from leaving. Eventually, a sexual encounter occurred, though she declined to provide specific details, citing feelings of fear and shame.

"I felt compelled to comply because I was frightened and wanted to escape the situation," the woman explained.

Before she departed, he gave her 100 shekels (approximately $30). Two weeks later, he provided medicine and food. However, the promised job did not materialize for weeks.

As Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepens, women report being exploited by local men—some affiliated with aid organizations—who offer food, money, water, supplies, or employment in exchange for sexual interactions. Six women shared their experiences with The Associated Press, speaking anonymously due to fears of family retribution and because sexual harassment and assault remain taboo topics. The solicitations sometimes were explicit, with one woman recalling being told, "Let me touch you." In other instances, the requests were culturally coded as "I want to marry you" or invitations to "go somewhere together."

Aid organizations and experts note that exploitation frequently emerges during conflicts and periods of desperation, particularly when populations are displaced and dependent on assistance. Similar reports have surfaced during emergencies in South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Congo, Chad, and Haiti.

"The terrible reality is that humanitarian crises create various vulnerabilities—increased sexual violence often results," stated Heather Barr, associate director for the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch. "The situation in Gaza today is indescribable, especially for women and girls."

Four psychologists working with Gaza women described patients' accounts to AP. One mentioned that her organization, focused on protecting women and children, treated dozens of cases involving sexual exploitation of vulnerable women, including some resulting in pregnancies. The psychologists, all Palestinians working for local Gaza organizations, spoke anonymously due to privacy concerns and the sensitive nature of these cases in a conservative society where extramarital sexual activity is considered a serious offense. None of their patients wished to speak directly with AP.

Five women who shared their stories with AP said they did not engage in sexual interaction with the men. The psychologists reported that some women who sought their help had complied with the men's demands, while others refused.

Six human rights and relief organizations—including the local Palestinian group Women's Affairs Center and the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse network, which coordinates with various aid groups including United Nations agencies—confirmed to AP their awareness of sexual abuse and exploitation reports linked to aid distribution.

Aid groups state that conditions in Gaza—nearly two years of war, displacement of at least 90% of the population, and aid access complications—have created extraordinary challenges for humanitarian work with vulnerable populations. As hunger and desperation increase throughout the enclave, women particularly describe being forced into impossible decisions.

The organizations attribute the humanitarian crisis to Israel's offensive and blockade, noting that the conflict has complicated documentation of exploitation cases. Gaza's Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, reports over 66,000 Palestinians killed. While the ministry doesn't distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, it states that approximately half the fatalities are women and children.

"Israel's siege on Gaza and the restrictions on humanitarian aid are driving women to these desperate measures," said Amal Syam, director of the Women's Affairs Center.

Israel maintains there are no aid restrictions and that it has implemented measures to increase deliveries into Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of diverting aid—without providing evidence of widespread diversion—and faults UN agencies for failing to distribute permitted food. The UN denies allegations of widespread aid diversion.

One woman who spoke to AP described receiving phone calls beginning in October, a year into the conflict. Initially, the man asked simple questions about her husband and children. However, the 35-year-old widow said his inquiries soon became inappropriate, asking about her underwear and intimate details.

She explained meeting the man in Muwasi, an area Israel designated as a humanitarian zone. While waiting in line for assistance, she provided her phone number to an aid worker—a Palestinian wearing an UNRWA-labeled uniform.

Shortly afterward, late-night calls began. He would ask sexual questions while she remained silent. Eventually, she said, he requested to visit her for sex. After refusing and receiving no aid despite nearly a dozen calls, she blocked his number.

The woman reported him verbally to UNRWA in Gaza. She was told she needed recorded conversations as evidence, but her old phone couldn't record calls.

UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma stated via email that the agency maintains a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation, takes all reports seriously, and doesn't require proof. However, she wouldn't confirm whether staff knew of this specific incident, citing UNRWA's policy against discussing individual cases, and declined further comment on the agency's awareness or work regarding exploitation cases generally.

The PSEA network—which includes UNRWA—emphasized that survivors can report anonymously or without identifying perpetrators, and are never required to provide evidence.

Sarah Achiro, a PSEA network coordinator working to prevent and address sexual exploitation in humanitarian settings, acknowledged the challenges in assessing the scale of exploitation. Gaza's limited connectivity restricts reporting channels, while constant displacement makes it difficult for survivors to seek in-person assistance and for aid groups to establish trust.

Achiro noted that sexual violence is significantly underreported, particularly in humanitarian and conflict settings, where data typically reveals just "the tip of the iceberg."

The PSEA network reported receiving 18 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation connected to humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza last year, all involving either aid workers or associated individuals such as community representatives or private contractors. The employing organizations investigate allegations against aid workers. The network wouldn't specify how many cases were under investigation, stating they cannot disclose information until formal conclusions are reached.

Four women who spoke to AP said the men who solicited them identified themselves as aid workers or, in one case, a community leader promising assistance.

Like the widow, several women reported these incidents occurred while registering for aid, with men taking their phone numbers—a common step in the aid process—and later calling. All the men described were Palestinian. Several women couldn't identify which aid organizations the men appeared to represent.

UN and aid groups typically engage with local communities by hiring contractors, using volunteers, or working with community-appointed leaders as liaisons.

The mother of six said the man who promised her employment drove a vehicle with UN markings. After their encounter, she continued receiving messages—late-night sexual calls and requests for photos. She described avoiding these with various excuses: being busy, having a broken phone, or unable to talk.

Approximately one month after their sexual interaction, she encountered the man at an aid distribution site in December 2023. He subsequently helped her secure a six-month position with UNRWA, which she completed.

She told AP she never reported the man, their encounter, or his exploitation attempts.

"I convinced myself that nobody would believe me," she said. "They might accuse me of making these claims just to get employment."

Asked about this account, UNRWA's Touma emphasized the organization's zero-tolerance policy and indicated they would seek additional information regarding the exploitation incidents and accusations.

Since the interaction and her temporary employment, the woman has been displaced, remains unemployed, and struggles to feed her family. She blocked the man's number, but he has attempted to contact her as recently as this summer.

Some women report being solicited multiple times by different men throughout the conflict.

A 37-year-old mother of four told AP she was approached twice, once by a shelter manager. The man offered food and shelter if they could "go together somewhere," such as the seaside. Understanding this as a sexual proposition, she refused.

Psychologists and women's groups report that cases have increased as the crisis has worsened—with more people displaced, dependent on aid, and crowded into camps. One psychologist mentioned that some women were expelled from their homes when their husbands learned what had happened.

Before the war, exploitation reports occurred only once or twice annually but have increased dramatically, according to Syam of the Women's Affairs Center. However, she noted many organizations avoid highlighting the numbers or addressing the issue.

"Most organizations prefer to keep attention focused on the violence and violations committed by the Israeli occupation," Syam explained.

Israel maintains it is fighting to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of hostages taken in the 2023 attack that triggered the war, while claiming to minimize civilian harm whenever possible.

The women who spoke with AP emphasized the importance of maintaining dignity despite the ongoing war.

For several weeks last fall, a 29-year-old mother received calls from an aid worker proposing marriage in exchange for providing nutritional supplements for her four children.

After refusing and blocking his number, she said he continued calling from different phones. He insisted he was attracted to her and made inappropriate comments she considered too vulgar to repeat.

"I felt completely degraded," she said. "I had to seek assistance for my children. If I didn't do it, who would?"