UN Adds Israel and Russia to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Blacklist

The United Nations added Israel to its annual Conflict-Related Sexual Violence blacklist for the first time, marking a significant diplomatic development that drew immediate condemnation from the Israeli government. The UN also added Russia to the same list for the first time, citing verified cases of sexual abuse committed by Russian forces in Ukraine and Russian-occupied territories.

The UN report verified 31 cases of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank between 2023 and 2025. In response to the blacklisting, Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon announced that Israel was cutting ties with UN Secretary General António Guterres.

The UN had previously added Hamas to the Conflict-Related Sexual Violence blacklist for the October 7 attacks in Israel and for abuse of hostages in Gaza. Hamas has not recognized any cases of sexual violence or held perpetrators responsible, according to the UN findings.

Center and center-left outlets reported that the violations attributed to Israeli forces included rape, gang rape, rape with objects, forced nudity, violence to genitals, targeted shooting of genitals, and threats of rape. The alleged violations were committed by personnel from the Israeli military, police, prison service, and an elite police counter-terrorism unit, according to the BBC and The Guardian.

The BBC reported that of the 31 verified cases, 13 occurred in 2025 and 18 occurred in the two prior years. The victims comprised 14 men, seven women, nine boys, and one girl. The Guardian separately reported that the UN documented nine cases of rape by Israeli forces, mostly of men or boys from Gaza, targeted in detention centres or during interrogation.

Center and center-left outlets reported that the UN stated its attempts to fully investigate alleged Israeli violations were obstructed by the Israeli government, including being barred from detention centres and having access to Gaza blocked. The UN also reported that threats were made against Palestinian detainees to prevent them from reporting abuse after release. The Guardian added that Israel has not allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees since October 2023.

The BBC reported a significant investigative constraint: the UN was unable to verify reports of Hamas sexual violence because the Israeli government denied access to UN bodies to carry out investigations. This access restriction affected the UN's ability to examine allegations on both sides of the conflict.

Center and center-left outlets reported on a specific incident that drew international attention: five Israeli guards were caught on leaked CCTV footage appearing to sexually abuse a detainee from Gaza at the Sde Teiman detention facility, with a doctor finding corroborating wounds. The BBC reported that Israel's top military lawyer dropped charges against the Sde Teiman guards in March of this year.

The Guardian reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the alleged perpetrators of the Sde Teiman sexual abuse as heroic and called the attempt to prosecute them criminal. The BBC separately reported that Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over its report based on testimonies of 14 Palestinian sexual abuse survivors, calling it "one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against Israel."

Israel rejected the UN's allegations, with center and center-left outlets reporting that the Israeli government stated it had submitted evidence, documents, and detailed responses to every claim. The BBC reported that Danny Danon accused UN Secretary General Guterres of spreading antisemitic lies. The Israeli military stated that it conducts examination and investigation processes for exceptional incidents involving suspicion of a legal violation, and opens criminal investigations when there is reasonable suspicion of an offence under Israeli and international law.

Israeli center-right outlet i24 News reported that a UN official stated they did not review evidence before blacklisting Israel, framing this as an admission that undermined the credibility of the UN process.

The BBC reported findings from research organisation Action on Armed Violence showing that nearly nine in ten Israeli investigations into crimes committed by soldiers since the start of the Gaza war were closed without finding fault or resolution, with only one prison conviction out of 52 cases studied. The Guardian separately reported that rights groups characterize Israeli detention centres as having normalized violence including rape, extreme hunger and humiliation over the past three years, describing them as 'torture camps' for Palestinians.

The BBC reported that the UN Committee against Torture stated in November that it was deeply concerned about reports indicating a de facto state policy of organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, with allegations having gravely intensified since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks. The Guardian reported that at least 15 international activists detained by Israel while attempting to sail to Gaza with aid said they had been sexually assaulted in custody, including one who reported being raped; Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published footage of the abuse, causing a diplomatic crisis.

Regarding Russia, center and center-left outlets reported that the UN verified 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence committed by Russian armed and security forces in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, including rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, and applying electric shocks to genitals. The 310 cases affected predominantly men, along with 26 women and four girls.

The Guardian reported that the UN found Russia deployed systematic sexual torture in almost all detention centres, with two-thirds of cases involving multiple forms of sexual violence and more than half of survivors enduring repeated attacks. Russia obstructed UN investigations by barring monitors from accessing prisoners of war and civilian detainees. The BBC noted that Russia has not publicly commented on the UN report.

The BBC reported that Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the UN report, calling it "a crucial step on the painful road to truth and accountability." The Guardian reported that Ukrainian forces committed 31 verified incidents of conflict-related sexual violence since 2022, including beating of genitals, applying electric shocks and forced nudity, but noted that the Ukrainian government allowed access to independent monitors and was taking steps to strengthen laws addressing sexual violence.

The Guardian reported that the UN report lists 77 countries and armed groups on the sexual violence blacklist and identified a sharp rise in conflict-related sexual violence from 2024. Details of the UN report were shared by Israeli diplomats at the UN before its official release, and the full report was subsequently posted online by the US news site PassBlue.