Israel, Russia added to UN blacklist over conflict-related sexual violence

NEW YORK: Israeli and Russian security forces have been placed on a United Nations blacklist for conflict-related sexual violence.

The report lists dozens of state and non-state actors credibly suspected of having engaged systematically in sexual violence in conflict settings including Sudan, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria and Mali. It says that despite warnings issued by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Israel and Russia in August last year, the United Nations continued to document incidents and patterns of sexual violence in the war in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian territories.

UN investigators also faced continued denial of access from authorities in both countries. The document says that in Israel’s case, patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to be documented in 2025.

Cases documented in Palestinian territories and Ukraine

UN-verified cases point to trends spanning several years, while adding that the findings are not comprehensive because investigators were denied access to Israeli detention centres. It says the UN confirmed multiple cases in 2025 dating back to 2023 involving 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.

The violations listed include rape with an object, gang rape, violence targeting the genitals, forced nudity and body searches carried out without apparent security justification. The perpetrators are identified as members of the Israeli military, security forces and prison services.

On Russia, the report highlights sexual violence in occupied areas of Ukraine and inside Russia, saying members of the armed forces and prison services were responsible, particularly in cases involving prisoners of war who gave testimony after being released. Citing figures from the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the report records 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, genital mutilation and electric shocks, with men making up the overwhelming majority of victims.

Israel rejects decision, Ukraine also criticised

Israel condemned the move on Thursday. In a post on X, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, described the decision by Guterres as shameful and rejected any comparison with Hamas, which is already on the blacklist.

"We are done with this Secretary-General"

Danon said Israel would freeze relations with the secretary-general’s office until the end of Guterres’s term on December 31, 2026. He also disputed the report’s account on access, saying UN representatives had been invited to investigate in Israel but had declined to do so and instead continued what he called a campaign against the country.

Ukraine was not added to the blacklist, but the report still criticises Ukrainian security forces. It notes 31 cases of sexual violence attributed to them, particularly involving prisoners of war. However, most of those incidents took place before 2025, and the Ukrainian government has strengthened legislation and allows the UN to carry out investigations.

More broadly, conflict-related sexual violence rose markedly in 2025 compared with 2024, and the abuse is described as marked by extreme brutality and as overwhelmingly affecting women and girls. It also notes that Russia has appeared since 2023, and Israel since 2024, on a separate annual UN list concerning violence against children in conflict.