Israel Added to UN Sexual Violence Blacklist After Documented Abuses in Gaza and West Bank
Israel has been formally added to a United Nations blacklist of states committing sexual violence in warzones, following a report from Secretary-General António Guterres's office. This marks the first time Israel has been included on this list.
The UN report verified 31 cases of sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank during the past year, with 13 incidents occurring in 2025 and 18 in the preceding two years. The documented violations, affecting 14 men, seven women, nine boys, and one girl, included rape, gang rape, forced nudity, and violence to genitals by Israeli military, police, and prison service officers.
Israel swiftly rejected the allegations, with its ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accusing Guterres of disseminating antisemitic falsehoods. The Israeli UN mission stated it would cease all contact with Guterres's office. The UN noted that its efforts to fully investigate these matters were obstructed by the Israeli government, alongside threats made against detainees to prevent reporting of abuse.
This development follows a series of documented abuses. In one instance, five Israeli guards were reportedly captured on CCTV footage sexually abusing a detainee from Gaza at the Sde Teiman detention facility. A doctor subsequently found corroborating injuries, yet Israel's top military lawyer dropped charges against the guards in March of this year.
Last December, two Palestinian men recounted experiences of sexual abuse and torture in Israeli detention sites. The Israel Prison Service claimed adherence to the law and unawareness of such claims. The UN Committee against Torture previously expressed profound concern in November about reports indicating a
