Yoav Zitun, a well-known Israeli journalist and military correspondent who was known for strongly supporting Israel’s military narrative, has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a child.
Zitun, who reported for Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth from inside the besieged Gaza Strip, was suspended and arrested amid allegations involving the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy, according to Israeli reports.
Zitun has long been one of the key voices amplifying Israeli military propaganda and promoting the narrative of genocide.
The arrest comes as multiple reports indicate that Israel has increasingly employed sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination and carried out genocidal acts through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities.
In March last year, a report issued by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said "Israel had employed sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians to terrorize them and perpetuate a system of oppression that undermines their right to self-determination.”
It documented a broad range of violations perpetrated against Palestinian girls, women, men, and boys since October 7, 2023, that constitute a major element in the ill-treatment of Palestinians and are part of the unlawful occupation and persecution of Palestinians as a group.
The report found that sexual and gender-based violence was being perpetrated across the occupied Palestinian territories as a strategy of war for Israel to dominate and destroy the Palestinian people.
The issue of sexual misconduct in the Israeli military has also given rise to heated debates over the past few years.
The developments come amid growing scrutiny of Western leaders and business figures implicated in dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who had ties with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and whose criminal activities included the abuse and trafficking of minors.
The ties between disgraced US financier Epstein and Israel are becoming clearer after the release of millions of documents related to the convicted sex offender by the United States Department of Justice, following a years-long campaign.
A series of documents suggested that US President Donald Trump was vulnerable to Israeli influence through financial and political leverage.
Last week, three Israeli-American brothers went on trial in the United States, accused of running a sex trafficking and rape network that allegedly targeted multiple women through parties, drugs, and coercion.
Originally from Israel, the Alexanders built careers in luxury real estate, serving high-profile clients and celebrities, including Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West.
Press TV’s website
