UN Blacklists Israeli Forces for First Time Over Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Allegations, Sparks Strong Reactions
In a significant development, the United Nations has included Israeli security and military forces in its annual list of parties accused of conflict-related sexual violence for the first time since the monitoring mechanism was established more than 15 years ago.
The decision, detailed in a new UN report, has been strongly rejected by Israel, which has dismissed the allegations as baseless.
The 35-page report, which was shared with member states ahead of its official publication, identifies 77 state and non-state actors across multiple conflict zones that are suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual violence during armed conflicts.
According to the UN, documented cases of such violence increased considerably in 2025 compared to the previous year.
For the first time, Russian armed and security forces have also been added to the blacklist. The report cites allegations of sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians detained during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
The 2025 list includes both Israeli forces and Hamas militants. Hamas had already been added to the blacklist following its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the devastating war in Gaza.
Both Israel and Russia had previously been warned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that they could face inclusion if concerns raised in earlier investigations were substantiated.
The decision prompted sharp criticism from both countries. Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, condemned the move and accused the UN of unfairly targeting Moscow.
He argued that the allegations were unproven and claimed Russia was preparing its own report on the treatment of Russian prisoners of war by Ukrainian authorities.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, also reacted strongly, accusing the organisation of unfairly equating Israel with terrorist groups.
In a statement, Danon said Israel was being placed on the same list as Hamas, ISIS and other extremist organisations despite what he described as extensive cooperation with UN investigators.
Danon further stated that Israeli authorities had submitted documents, evidence and detailed responses addressing the allegations raised in the report.
Nevertheless, the country was added to the blacklist, a decision Israeli officials say reflects a longstanding institutional bias against Israel within parts of the UN system.
According to the report, UN investigators documented what they described as patterns of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, as well as in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The report says investigators verified multiple incidents involving men, women and children from Gaza and the West Bank.
The UN documented cases involving 14 men, seven women, nine boys and one girl who were allegedly subjected to conflict-related sexual violence. Of the verified incidents, 13 reportedly occurred during 2025, while another 18 cases dated back to 2023 and 2024.
Investigators described a range of alleged abuses, including rape, gang rape, attempted rape, violence directed at the genital area, forced nudity, invasive searches without clear security justification, sexual humiliation and threats of sexual assault.
The report states that several victims were allegedly subjected to repeated abuse while in detention.
The UN further alleged that some of the incidents involved personnel from the Israel Defense Forces, prison authorities, police units and special security forces.
The report highlighted at least nine victims, most of them Palestinians from Gaza, who were allegedly raped or gang-raped while in custody.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry categorically rejected the findings, stating that the accusations had been thoroughly investigated and disproven.
In a post on social media, the ministry described the blacklist decision as another example of what it called the UN’s persistent hostility toward Israel.
The report also revisits allegations of sexual violence committed during Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel.
However, UN investigators noted that many claims could not be independently verified because they have not been granted the level of access required to conduct comprehensive investigations inside Israel.
The report highlights similar difficulties in Russia, where UN human rights investigators have also been denied full access.
Despite those limitations, investigators said they were able to verify 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine and among detainees held during the conflict.
According to the findings, the majority of victims in the Russia-Ukraine conflict were male prisoners of war and civilian detainees. The report describes a pattern of abuse occurring in detention settings and during captivity.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian human rights monitors documented 31 cases of conflict-related sexual violence involving prisoners of war and civilian detainees.
Most of those incidents occurred before 2025. Despite those findings, Ukraine has not been included on the UN blacklist.
The latest report is expected to intensify diplomatic tensions between the United Nations and the governments named in the document.
It also underscores growing international concern over the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and the challenges investigators continue to face in gathering evidence in active conflict zones.
