Brigadier-General Rachel Tevet-Wiesel, an advisor to the Israeli army’s chief of staff on women's affairs, made the revelation in the report sent to a parliamentary committee on Monday.

Tevet-Wiesel’s report indicated that the number of soldiers, male and female, who reported sexual harassment rose to at least 561 in 2013, from 511 in the previous year.

Forty-nine percent of the reported incidents were said to be physical, while the rest were described as verbal harassment.

Four percent of the cases ended in rape.This is while the majority of women subject to sexual misconduct have never reported the issue.

An additional 396 cases reportedly took place while the soldiers were under civilian circumstances — a meaningful rise from 266 cases in 2012.

Men accounted for nine percent of the victims, a five percent increase in comparison with 2012, where the figure stood at four percent.

The issue of sexual misconduct in the Israeli army has given rise to heated debates over the past year, mainly following the convictions of two high-ranking officers for assaulting women soldiers.

The officers were both sentenced to community service.

The ruling sparked criticism by Israeli MPs, who said they were disconcerted by the leniency.

SHI/SHI