Israeli police have launched an investigation into the alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old girl. The girl was allegedly raped at a hotel in the town of Eilat while she was intoxicated.

Two suspects have been detained so far, one of whom said more than 30 men had had intimate relations with the girl. He denied the rape accusations. The teenager filed a complaint to police last Friday.

The girl reportedly went to Eilat with a friend, where they joined the friend’s acquaintances. The group went out drinking together before returning to a hotel, where the men allegedly raped the girl. According to the BBC the teenager’s friend tried to rescue her but was unable to stop the men.

The two arrested are Israeli residents in their 20s. One was arrested after police found messages between him and the teenaged girl, which contained a video documenting the alleged assault. The suspect claims someone else was using his phone. He also said that more than 30 people were involved in the incident, and claimed security camera footage would prove that it was consensual.

Meanwhile, according to the BBC,, in 2019 a 19-year-old British woman claimed she had been gang-raped by 12 Israeli men at a hotel in Cyprus. She was later found guilty of lying about the rape and was handed a four-month suspended sentence. Activist denounced the ruling. The 19-year old’s lawyer said she was appealing against her conviction.

Umm Muhammed Umar