Israeli, Russian Forces Added To UN Blacklist For Sexual Violence In Conflict Zones
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The annual United Nations report documenting sexual violence in conflicts around the world includes Israeli forces for the first time since the review began more than 15 years ago. Treatment of Palestinian detainees. Israel rejects the accusations.
The report, submitted by the Israeli mission to the UN late Thursday and expected to be published Friday, blacklists 77 government and non-governmental parties in a dozen countries suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual violence in conflicts around the world. says The number of cases increased sharply From 2024 to 2025.
Russian armed forces and security forces were also blacklisted for the first time this year for sexual violence against prisoners of war and detained civilians. war in Ukraine.
The 2025 list includes Israel’s armed forces and security forces, as well as Hamas militants. previously blacklisted After the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 war in Gaza.
In last year’s report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, both Israel and Russia were warned that they could be listed.
Ambassadors from both countries expressed anger at their involvement and attacked Guterres.
“We will write a letter to the Secretary-General saying these are baseless lies and allegations that portray Russia as the bad guy it always is,” said Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia. He said Russia had prepared and documented a report on how Ukrainians treated Russian prisoners of war.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on social media, “We are done with this UN Secretary-General.” Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist as Hamas, ISIS and the most immoral terrorist organizations in the world.” Guterres’ second five-year term ends on December 31.
Danon said Israel provided documents, data and detailed responses to the allegations made in the report.
The report said the UN was able to document “patterns of sexual violence” against Palestinians detained in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in 2025 and confirmed multiple incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, including some form of torture, inflicted on 14 men, seven women, nine boys and one girl from Gaza and the West Bank. It was stated that 13 cases occurred in 2025 and 18 cases occurred in 2023 and 2024.
“Violations include rape with objects, gang rape, attempted rape, physical violence against the genitals, cases of targeted shooting at the genitals, touching breasts and genitals, naked and cavity searches without apparent security reasons, forced nudity and threats of rape,” the report said.
It detailed at least nine victims, mostly from Gaza, who were raped or gang-raped, in some cases repeatedly, by perpetrators in the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli prison service, special forces and police units.
Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it “thoroughly, thoroughly and unequivocally denies these allegations.”
“This resolution is another example of the UN’s long-standing, institutionalized hostility to Israel,” the foreign ministry wrote to X.
The report again includes accusations that Hamas committed sexual violence, but notes that many details cannot be independently verified because the Israeli government continues to block the access the UN needs to conduct investigations.
Russian authorities have consistently denied access to UN human rights investigators, but were still able to confirm 310 conflict-related cases of sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilian detainees in Russia and Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, the report said. The report stated that the majority of the victims were men.
The report said human rights monitors in Ukraine have documented 31 conflict-related cases of sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilian detainees, the majority of which occurred before 2025. Ukraine was not included in the UN blacklist.
