UN Blacklists Israel and Russia for Sexual Violence in Conflicts

The report's release date and timing are mentioned differently across sources, with some noting it was shared by the Israeli mission to the UN late Thursday before its expected release on Friday.

The number of cases of sexual violence is mentioned differently, with some sources citing specific numbers and others referring to 'verified cases' or 'documented incidents'.

The UN's access to detention centers is mentioned differently, with some sources stating that the UN was denied access, while others suggest that the UN was invited but chose not to conduct investigations.

UN puts Israel, Russia on conflict-related sexual violence list  nhk.or.jp

UN places Israel and Russia on sexual violence blacklist  The Jakarta Post

Israel has denied the accusations and condemned the report, which listed dozens of countries and nonstate groups as “credibly suspected” of patterns of rape and sexual violence.

New report says nearly 10,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were recorded worldwide last year.

Israel says it rejects allegations in a new report by the office of the UN secretary general.

UN Places Israel on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Blacklist  Egyptian Streets

Organisation cites abuse by security forces, including rape of male detainees The UN has added Israel and Russia to a blacklist for sexual violence in conflict, citing abuse by security forces including rape of male detainees. . The UN verified sexual abuse of 31 Palestinian men, women and children from the Gaza Strip and the 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. Continue reading...

Being added to the list does not automatically carry specific punitive measures such as sanctions, although public naming and shaming can ​cause significant reputational damage for the states involved

UN blacklists Russian forces over sexual violence against Ukrainian POWs, civilian detainees  The Kyiv Independent

UN adds Russian army to blacklist for sexual violence during war in Ukraine  Ukrinform - Ukrainian National News Agency

UN to place Israel on sexual violence in conflict blacklist, Israeli envoy says  The Straits Times

An annual United Nations report documenting sexual violence in conflicts worldwide has included Israeli forces for the first time since the review began more than 15 years ago for their treatment of Palestinian detainees. Israel denies the accusations. The 35-page report – shared by the Israeli mission to the UN late Thursday ahead of its expected release on Friday – blacklists 77 government and non-government parties in a dozen countries suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual...

Israeli and Russian security forces have been added to a United Nations blacklist on sexual violence in conflict, according to a report reviewed on Thursday by AFP. Published annually by the UN, the list includes dozens of state and non-state groups credibly suspected of having engaged “systematically” in sexual violence in countries such as Sudan, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria and Mali. Last August, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel and Russia of their possible inclusion on the list. Despite the warning, the report says that “incidents and patterns of sexual violence continued to be documented by the United Nations” in the war in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian territories. UN investigators faced “continued denial of access” from authorities in both countries, according to the report, seen by AFP before its circulation among Security Council members. Regarding Israel, “in 2025, patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to be documented”, the report says. It notes that the cases verified by the UN are indicative of multi-year trends but are not “comprehensive” given the denial of access to Israeli detention centres. Consequently, in 2025, the UN confirmed multiple cases dating back to 2023 of sexual violence, “including as a form of torture” against 14 men, seven women, nine boys, and one girl in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. These violations include rape with an object, gang rape, physical violence against the genitals, forced nudity, and body searches conducted “without apparent security justification.” The perpetrators are identified by the UN as members of the Israeli military, security forces, and prison services. ‘Extreme brutality’ On Thursday morning, Israel denounced the “shameful and absurd” decision by Guterres, calling it an attempt to “create a fake symmetry” with Hamas, which is already on the list. “We are done with this Secretary-General,” declared Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, in a post on X, signalling a “freeze” in Israel’s relations with the secretary-general’s office until the end of Guterres’s term on December 31, 2026. He also rejected that the UN had been denied access, asserting that its representatives had been invited to conduct investigations in Israel but “chose not to come; they chose to continue with the campaign against Israel”. Regarding Russia, the report highlights sexual violence in occupied Ukrainian territories and within Russia itself, perpetrated by armed forces and prison services, particularly against prisoners of war, who provided testimony following their release. Drawing on data from the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the report cites 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, genital mutilation, and electric shocks, committed overwhelmingly against men. Ukraine, while not included on the list, still faces criticism. The report notes 31 cases of sexual violence committed by Ukrainian security forces, particularly against prisoners of war. However, most of these incidents occurred prior to 2025, the report says, noting that the government has strengthened legislation and permits the UN to conduct investigations. More broadly, the report deplores a “marked” increase in conflict-related sexual violence in 2025 compared to 2024 — violence “characterised by extreme brutality and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls”. Russia since 2023 and Israel since 2024 have also featured on another highly publicised annual UN “list of shame” concerning violence against children in conflicts.

A new UN report accuses Israeli forces of abuses against Palestinian detainees. The report also documents hundreds of sexual violence cases linked to Russian forces in Ukraine. Both countries deny the allegations.

The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, told Israel there had been an “increasing number of cases” of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees, according to a letter shared by Israel’s U.N. ambassador.

Israeli and Russian forces added to UN blacklist for sexual violence in conflict zones  AP News

Israel, Russia added to UN blacklist on sexual violence in conflicts  The Straits Times

The UN cited "credible information" regarding sexual violence allegedly committed by Israeli security forces against Palestinians in prisons and other detention centres.

Israel severs ties with UN chief's office after being blacklisted for sexual violence  Anadolu Ajansı

UN expert says adding Israel to sexual violence blacklist is ‘long overdue’  Middle East Eye

Israel freezes out UN chief over sexual violence blacklist  The Straits Times

The Israeli mission to the UN said in a statement that it will have no contact with the Secretary-General’s office as long as Mr. Guterres remains in the role

Israeli ambassador to the UN says Tel Aviv will cut ties with UN chief Antonio Guterres over the upcoming report.

This year's United Nations report on sexual violence in conflict zones will include Israeli authorities in an annex of entities responsible for or suspected of carrying conflict-related sexual violence, Israeli officials confirmed Thursday in comments slamming the decision. Last year's report said it had received "credible information" of sexual violence carried out by security forces in Israeli detention centres.

Israel 'added to UN blacklist' for sexual violence in conflict zones  Middle East Eye

Report: UN adds Israel to blacklist for committing sexual violence in conflict zones  Middle East Eye

UN adds Israel to sexual violence in conflict zones blacklist, ambassador says  Haaretz

UN adds Israeli entities to sexual violence blacklist alongside Hamas  The Jerusalem Post