Israel, Russia included in UN sexual violence blacklist

The United Nations added Israeli and Russian security forces to a blacklist for conflict-related sexual violence for the first time. The annual report to be released on Friday blacklists 77 state and non-state actors across a dozen countries over alleged conflict-related sexual violence. The report says cases rose sharply in 2025 compared with 2024. It documents patterns of sexual violence by Israeli forces against Palestinian detainees in Gaza and the West Bank, including rape, gang rape, attempted rape, genital violence, targeted shooting of genitals, forced nudity, and threats of rape. It also identifies perpetrators as members of Israeli military, security forces, and prison services. Both Israel and Russia reject the allegations.

"The United Nations has added Israeli and Russian security forces to its blacklist for conflict-related sexual violence for the first time, according to an annual report to be released on Friday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned both Israel and Russia last year of possible inclusion on the blacklist. Both countries rejected the allegations. The report, which blacklists 77 state and non-state actors across a dozen countries over alleged conflict-related sexual violence, said cases rose sharply in 2025 compared with 2024."

"According to the report, Israeli forces engaged in documented patterns of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank. "Violations consisted of rape, including with objects, gang rape, attempted rape, physical violence to the genitals, instances of targeted shooting of the genitals, touching of breasts and genitals, strip and cavity searches conducted without apparent security justification, forced nudity and threats of rape," the report said. The UN report identified the perpetrators as members of the Israeli military, security forces and prison services."

"Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called the report "shameful and absurd." "We are done with this UN Secretary-General," Danon said in a statement on social media. "Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world." The blacklist also includes Hamas classified as a terrorist organization by the US, the EU, and Israel, among other coun"

Read at www.dw.com