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Israel has announced it is breaking all contact with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after the UN added Israeli entities to a blacklist of parties suspected of or responsible for sexual violence in armed conflict zones, as reported by multiple news outlets including Al Jazeera, Fox News, France 24, The Jerusalem Post, and The Hindu.
The decision, which was confirmed in a UN report released on Friday, also added Russia to the list, according to The Hindu. The report, which Guterres presents annually to the UN Security Council, goes further than last year's edition, when Israel and Russia were put "on notice" that they could be added to the list of parties "credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence."
Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a video posted on X that "we are done with this secretary-general," describing the decision to blacklist Israel as "outrageous." The Israeli mission to the UN said it will have no contact with Guterres' office as long as he serves as UN chief.
Coverage comparison
The reporting across outlets consistently describes Israel's strong reaction to the UN's decision, though the framing varies. Al Jazeera, Fox News, and the Jerusalem Post emphasize Israel's condemnation of the UN and its alleged bias, while France 24 and The Hindu take a more neutral tone, focusing on the allegations and Israel's denial.
The Jerusalem Post's coverage includes an editorial that calls the UN's decision a "moral and institutional failure," arguing that placing Israeli institutions alongside Hamas "collapses the distinction between isolated criminal allegations and systematic sexual violence deployed as a weapon of war." The editorial also criticizes Israel for not addressing abuse allegations more transparently at home.
The Hindu reported that the UN Secretary-General's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said "the Secretary-General's door remains open" to Israel, despite the freeze in relations.
Key claims
- Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon announced that Israel is severing all contact with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saying "We are done with this secretary-general" in a video posted on X.
- The UN's annual report on conflict-related sexual violence includes Israeli entities on its blacklist, alongside Hamas and, according to The Hindu, Russia.
- The report alleges that Israeli security forces committed sexual violence, citing "credible information" about abuses against Palestinian detainees in prisons and other detention centers, as reported by France 24.
- Israel denies the allegations, with Danon calling the decision "outrageous" and accusing the UN of spreading "lies against Israel." Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called the decision "shameful and absurd," saying it proves the UN is "a politicised and corrupt organisation that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission."
- Israel's foreign ministry said it will sever all ties with the Secretary-General's office until a new UN Secretary-General is appointed, according to The Hindu.
- The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel also canceled a planned visit by Pramila Patten, the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict.
- The list does not automatically carry specific punitive measures such as sanctions, but can cause significant reputational damage and those repeatedly listed are barred from UN peacekeeping operations, as reported by The Hindu.