This Photo Does Not Depict a Ukrainian Female Soldier Fighting Alongside the Israeli Army in Gaza

17th March 2024

This Photo Does Not Depict a Ukrainian Female Soldier Fighting Alongside the Israeli Army in Gaza

The image depicts an Israeli soldier following training conducted in 2014 (X)

The Claim

Ukrainian recruit Maria Kharchev came to fight in the ranks of the Israeli army and joined the Yelam Brigade. Instead of being rewarded, she was raped by 4 Israeli soldiers from the Yalam Brigade and then imprisoned for a week so that they would not be exposed.

News posted on

IDF Death and Destruction Count Team

Emerging story

Recently, a photo has gone viral on social media platforms such as Facebook and X, purportedly showing a Ukrainian female soldier named Maria Kharchov. The narrative suggests that she joined the Israeli army in Gaza, serving in the Yahalom Unit before allegedly being raped by four Israeli soldiers.

a Ukrainian female soldier named Maria Kharchov. The narrative suggests that she joined the Israeli army in Gaza, serving in the Yahalom Unit

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The photo is old and does not depict a Ukrainian female soldier named Maria Kharchov, who allegedly fought alongside the Israeli army in Gaza and was recently purportedly raped.

A Photo of an Israeli Female Soldier After Training in 2014

The photo depicts an Israeli female soldier from the Caracal Battalion standing after completing training in the Negev Desert near Kibbutz Sde Boker on May 29, 2014.

The Caracal Battalion, established in 2004 with two-thirds female members, aims to integrate women into combat units. Its primary mission, as reported by Reuters, is to conduct routine patrols along Israel's border with Egypt to intercept infiltrators and prevent smuggling from the Sinai Desert.

An Israeli female soldier after training in the Negev Desert in 2014 (Reuters)

An Israeli Soldier Accused of Raping a Comrade During the Gaza War

During the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, Hebrew media reported that an Israeli soldier has been accused of raping his colleague, who was assigned to serve alongside him.

Itay Blumental, the military correspondent for the Israeli channel Kan News, stated that an Israeli soldier has been accused of raping his female colleague during the early weeks of the Gaza war. The victim was assigned to work alongside the accused soldier in the reserves.

Rape and Sexual Assault Cases Within the Israeli Military

Previous news reports have covered allegations of rape and sexual assault within the Israeli army, leading to the release of statistics regarding indictments related to sexual assault for the year 2020.

At that time, it was reported that a total of 1,542 complaints were filed, including 26 rape cases, 391 cases of indecent assault, and 92 cases of sharing images and videos. The Jerusalem Post reported that in 2019, 1,239 complaints were filed, and in 2012, 514 complaints were filed.

The Hebrew newspaper revealed that approximately 50% of the offenders were mandatory conscripts, 29% were officers and non-commissioned officers, and the remaining were civilian employees of the army, reserve soldiers, or contractors.