Violence reports drop during Israel-Hamas War, experts warn of post-war surge

Women made up 46% of victims of physical violence and threats but 80% of the victims of sexual violence, according to the report.

By EVE YOUNG DECEMBER 4, 2024 12:10 Updated: DECEMBER 4, 2024 12:40

A woman wrapped in an Israel flag stands outside the place where mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema attends a press conference following the violence targeting fans of an Israeli soccer team, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 8, 2024. (photo credit: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS)

There were police cases opened for around 70,000 victims of violent crimes in Israel in 2023, 51% of whom were men and 49% of whom were women, the Knesset's Research and Information Center said in a report released last week.

Women made up 46% of victims of physical violence and threats but 80% of the victims of sexual violence, according to the report.

Arab women made up 24% of the victims of violent crime, which is more than their proportion of the population, according to the report.

More victims of violence outside of the family or by a suspect whose identity is unknown were men (61%), and more victims of domestic violence were women (56%). The vast majority (88%) of victims who reported intimate partner violence (IPV) were women.

Nearly half (44%) of the female victims of violence reported to police were victims of violence within the family setting (hurt by an intimate partner or by another family member).

Israeli women gather for a presentation to advocate for the release of hostage Naama Levy, who was abducted during the October 7 Massacre, October 19, 2024. (credit: Paulina Patimer)

The vast majority (86%) of men who made complaints about violence against them complained about violence that took place outside of the home or by an unknown assailant.

Domestic violence reports drop

There was an 8% drop in the number of victims of reported cases of violence during the Israel-Hamas war, according to the report. A drop was reflected in all types of violent offenses the report examined.

The report also covered information from the Welfare Ministry, which also showed a decrease in reports of domestic violence. These reports dropped 21% from the same time last year, the report noted.

There was also a 25% drop in reports of IPV and a drop in the number of those seeking to stay in shelters.

These drops do not necessarily reflect a drop in the number of instances of violence, the researchers behind the report stressed.

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"There are fewer inquiries during wartime, and we anticipate this trend will reverse as soon as there is a lull. Currently, the shelters are not at full capacity. There is a decline in the data due to the war, except for the murder cases, which have only increased, indicating that the decrease is solely in reporting. The situation will worsen after the war," a welfare official told the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality last week.

The committee also discussed grants available to women seeking to escape domestic violence, highlighting that grants provided today are insufficient for renting an apartment, meaning women may be forced to return home to violence.

"The economic situation is very dramatic because many women return to their abusive partners due to financial circumstances. Where is the ministry in all of this?" Yesh Atid MK Simon Davidson challenged the representative of the Welfare Ministry.

Welfare Ministry Director-General Yinon Aharoni explained that the ministry is geared towards giving services over time rather than grants.

Committee chair National Unity MK Pnina Tameno-Shete called for grants for women leaving their homes due to domestic violence that would enable them to pay rent.

The committee also discussed the repercussions of the new National Security Ministry's program that has aimed at making gun ownership much easier and more accessible, saying that it has created loopholes in who can own a gun that is dangerous for women.