UN adds Israel and Russia to blacklist for sexual violence in conflict | United Nations
The UN has added Israel and Russia to its blacklist for sexual violence in conflict, citing abuses by security forces, including the rape of male detainees. .
The UN has confirmed the sexual abuse of 31 Palestinian men, women and children in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank between 2023 and 2025. Israeli attacks included repeated gang rapes and the use of sexual violence as a form of torture, the report said.
Other violations include rape with objects, attempted rape, assault on genitals, targeted shooting at genitals, touching breasts and genitals, forced nudity, and threats of rape.
These cases were “indicative of events and patterns” rather than a comprehensive summary of Israeli conflict-related sexual violence due to restrictions on UN investigators.
Israel has banned UN experts from entering detention centers, prevented travel to Gaza, and threatened Palestinian detainees if they reported mistreatment after their release.
The UN said Russia had also blocked investigations into “systemic” sexual violence against Ukrainians and denied observers access to prisoners of war and detained civilians.
Despite these difficulties, researchers confirmed 310 cases of abuse, including rape and gang rape, female genital mutilation, and electric shock to the genitals. Most of the victims were men; 26 women and four girls were also abused.
Russia systematically uses sexual torture against Ukrainians, both civilians and prisoners of war, in “almost all” detention centers. The UN has previously found.
The report states that in two-thirds of the cases, Russian forces used sexual violence more than once, and more than half of the survivors were subjected to repeated sexual assaults. Most of them were interviewed in Ukrainian-held territory after their release.
Israel and Russia deny that their militaries use sexual violence. Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said he was cutting ties with UN secretary-general António Guterres in response to the country’s blacklisting.
Danon said in its social media post that “Israel provides evidence, documentation and detailed responses to every allegation.” He did not share any evidence with the public. Israel has not allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees since October 2023.
Details of the report, which lists 77 countries and armed groups, were shared by Israeli diplomats at the UN before publication, and the full report was published online by the US news site. PassBlue.
The report found that conflict-related sexual violence around the world will rise sharply from 2024, “marked by extreme brutality and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls.”
However, Israel and Russia depart from this trend by targeting men as well. The UN documented nine cases of rape by Israeli forces, mostly of Gazan men or boys, who were targeted in detention centers or during interrogation.
The report stated that there was an attack on a police station in the Gush Etzion settlement in the occupied West Bank. The perpetrators included Israeli soldiers, prison officers and members of an elite police counter-terrorism unit.
The UN said the “systematic lack of accountability” for sexual violence helped create a culture of impunity. assault and rape A Gazan prisoner was recorded by security cameras and reported to the police by Israeli medical officials.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the alleged perpetrators “heroes” and described the failed attempt to prosecute them as “criminal.” The victim was never charged or tried and has since been released.
Violence, including rape, extreme starvation and humiliation, has been normalized in Israeli prisons over the past three years. Rights groups say the detention centers have become “torture camps” for Palestinians.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who boasts of a “prison revolution,” caused a diplomatic crisis last week by publishing images of Israeli security forces mistreating international activists detained while trying to get to Gaza with assistance.
The forms of abuse captured on video are routinely used against Palestinian prisoners in Israel. After the activists were released, at least 15 people said they were sexually assaulted, including rape, while in custody.
The UN had previously added Hamas to its sexual violence blacklist due to the October 7 attacks in Israel and the mistreatment of hostages in Gaza. The militant group did not recognize any cases of sexual violence or hold alleged perpetrators accountable.
Ukrainian forces also committed conflict-related sexual violence, with 31 incidents including genital beatings, electric shocks, and forced nudity; Since 2022, most have been confirmed before 2025.
The Ukrainian government allowed access to independent monitors and lawyers and took steps to strengthen laws against sexual violence, the report said.
