Lead
The United Nations has added Israel and Russia to its annual blacklist of parties credibly suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, according to a report released by the office of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The report, which covers 2025, documents dozens of cases involving Israeli security forces and Russian military personnel, and both governments have denied the allegations.
Coverage comparison
Most outlets focused on the inclusion of both Israel and Russia as first-time additions to the list. Al Jazeera, Dawn, The Guardian, and the South China Morning Post all reported the dual blacklisting, while the BBC and the Jerusalem Post emphasized Israel's addition. Russian state news agency TASS reported primarily on Russia's criticism of the report by its UN representative.
The report blacklists 77 government and non-government parties in a dozen countries, as reported by the South China Morning Post. The number of cases of conflict-related sexual violence rose sharply in 2025 compared to 2024, the report said.
Key claims
The UN verified 31 cases of sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, according to the BBC. Thirteen of the cases occurred in 2025, and 18 in the two previous years. The violations included rape, gang rape, forced nudity, and violence to genitals, committed by officers from the Israeli military, police, and prison service. The UN said its attempts to fully investigate the issue had been obstructed by the Israeli government, including threats made against detainees to prevent abuse being reported.
Russian forces were also blacklisted for the first time for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilian detainees during the war in Ukraine, as reported by multiple outlets. The UN report identified 310 instances of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and genital mutilation, affecting 280 men, 26 women, and four girls.
The UN also noted that 12 former hostages released from Gaza had made allegations of sexual violence against Hamas captors, a claim reported by the BBC. Hamas was added to the blacklist in August 2025.
Israel has denied the accusations. Its ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused Guterres of spreading antisemitic lies, and the Israeli mission said it would refuse contact with his office, as reported by the BBC and the Jerusalem Post. Israel has also frozen relations with the UN Secretary-General's Office, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, called the report methodologically flawed, saying it failed to include information on crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces, as reported by TASS.
Ukrainian forces have also committed conflict-related sexual violence, with 31 incidents verified since 2022, according to a claim carried by multiple sources.
Perspectives
Israeli government: Israel denies all accusations of sexual violence by its forces. Its UN ambassador, Danny Danon, called the report's inclusion of Israel a "moral disgrace" and accused Guterres of spreading "antisemitic lies." Israel has severed ties with the UN Secretary-General's Office in response.
Russian government: Russia's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, rejected the report as methodologically flawed and biased, noting the absence of information on alleged crimes by Ukrainian forces. He described the report as an attempt to discredit Russia.
United Nations: The UN report, authored by Special Representative Pramila Patten, insists the cases are "indicative of incidents and patterns" and cites obstruction by both Israeli and Russian authorities in accessing detention facilities. Patten said she had not received substantive responses from Israel on preventive measures.