Israel and Russia have been added to the United Nations blacklist of parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in armed conflict. The inclusion appears in Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s report, which was reviewed Thursday by AFP and will soon be sent to Security Council members.
Last August, Guterres warned both Israel and Russia about possible listing after documented incidents of sexual violence continued in the war in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian territories. Despite the warning, UN investigators faced “continued denial of access” from authorities in both countries, limiting the scope of verification but not stopping the documentation of patterns of abuse.
Regarding Israel, the report states that in 2025, patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to be documented. The UN verified cases involving members of the Israeli military, security forces, and prison services as perpetrators. However, the report clarifies that these verified cases reflect multi-year trends but are not comprehensive due to Israel’s denial of access to detention centers.
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On Thursday morning, Israel strongly condemned the decision, calling it “shameful and absurd.” Israeli officials argued that placing Israel on the same list as Hamas — which is already blacklisted — effectively equates a recognized state with a designated terrorist organization, undermining the report’s credibility and fairness.
Concerning Russia, the report highlights sexual violence in occupied Ukrainian territories and within Russia itself, perpetrated by Russian armed forces and prison services, especially against prisoners of war who provided testimony after 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.
The blacklist formally places Israel and Russia on the Security Council’s agenda for addressing sexual violence in conflict, subjecting both nations to heightened international scrutiny and potential diplomatic consequences. The UN’s action underscores growing concerns about systematic abuse in ongoing conflicts and the challenges of investigating such crimes when access is denied by the accused parties.
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