Israel added to UN blacklist for sexual violence in warzones

The United Nations has formally added Israel to its roster of countries credibly documented to have perpetrated sexual violence during armed conflict—a designation that marks the first time the Israeli state has appeared on this particular blacklist. The move comes from a report issued by the office of Secretary General António Guterres, which documented 31 instances of sexual abuse carried out by Israeli military personnel, police officers, and prison staff against Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. Thirteen of these cases occurred in 2025; eighteen took place in the two years prior. The victims included fourteen men, seven women, nine boys, and one girl. The violations documented ranged from rape and gang rape to forced nudity and deliberate genital injury.

Israel's response was swift and uncompromising. Ambassador Danny Danon accused Guterres of spreading antisemitic falsehoods and announced that his government would sever diplomatic relations with the secretary general's office for as long as Guterres remains in his position. The Israeli government categorically rejected the allegations of sexual abuse. The UN itself acknowledged that its findings should be understood as "indicative of incidents and patterns" rather than exhaustive—a careful framing that reflects the difficulty of comprehensive investigation in active conflict zones. The organization noted that Israeli authorities had actively obstructed its attempts to conduct fuller inquiries and that detainees had faced threats designed to discourage them from reporting abuse.

The blacklisting did not emerge in a vacuum. Last year, Guterres had placed Israel "on notice," urging the government to investigate mounting allegations and improve conditions in detention facilities. Since that warning, several high-profile cases have surfaced that suggest a troubling pattern. In one instance that drew international attention, five Israeli guards were captured on leaked security camera footage appearing to sexually assault a detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility. A physician who examined the man afterward documented injuries consistent with the alleged abuse. Despite this evidence and global scrutiny, Israel's top military lawyer dropped charges against the guards in March of this year. When questioned by the BBC, the Israel Prison Service stated it operated in "full accordance with the law" and claimed ignorance of the allegations.

The UN Committee against Torture weighed in separately in November, expressing deep concern about reports suggesting "a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture and ill treatment" of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody. The committee noted that allegations had "gravely intensified" following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. A New York Times investigation based on interviews with fourteen Palestinian survivors of sexual abuse prompted an especially sharp reaction from Israeli leadership. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar jointly announced they were pursuing a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, characterizing the report as "one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the state of Israel in the modern press."

Human rights organizations have long flagged what they describe as a pattern of impunity. Research by Action on Armed Violence found that nearly nine in ten Israeli military investigations into alleged crimes by soldiers since the Gaza war began had been closed without establishing fault or reaching resolution. Of fifty-two cases examined, only one resulted in a prison sentence. The Israeli military has responded to such criticism by stating that it "conducts examination and investigation processes regarding exceptional incidents" and opens criminal investigations when there is reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing, claiming to act "in accordance with its obligations under Israeli law and international law."

The blacklisting of Israel was not the only addition to the UN's list. Russian armed and security forces were also placed on the roster for the first time, having received a similar warning from Guterres in the previous year. The UN report identified three hundred ten instances of conflict-related sexual violence in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, affecting two hundred eighty men, twenty-six women, and four girls. The violations included rape and genital mutilation. Russia has not publicly responded to the designation. Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, welcomed the report as "a crucial step on the painful road to truth and accountability." The blacklisting of both nations signals a moment of international reckoning, though the practical consequences remain uncertain given the geopolitical tensions involved.