The United Nations (UN) added Israel and Russia to a blacklist of parties suspected of committing conflict-related sexual violence on Friday (29 May). The move prompted Israel to announce it would sever ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The annual UN report to the Security Council expands last year’s “on notice” designation and includes detailed allegations of sexual violence attributed to armed and security forces in conflict zones, including Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine. It also says verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence rose sharply in 2025 compared with 2024.
Israel strongly rejected the decision, arguing it was politically motivated and not based on facts. Israeli officials condemned being listed alongside Hamas, which has been on the UN blacklist since the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said the move represented a “new low” and accused the UN of bias. Israel’s foreign ministry later said it would sever all ties with the office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres until a new secretary-general is appointed.
Russia’s UN mission did not immediately comment on the report, while Ukraine’s foreign minister welcomed its findings.
UN Special Representative Pramila Patten, who oversees the report, said verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence worldwide had more than doubled in 2025 compared with 2024, describing it as a “very disturbing trend.”
The report says UN investigators verified incidents involving men, women and children in Gaza and the West Bank, including rape, gang rape, forced nudity, genital violence and degrading searches, which it attributes to Israeli armed and security forces in specific detention, interrogation and operational contexts.
It also details more than 300 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence attributed to Russian armed and security forces in Ukraine, including rape, gang rape, genital mutilation and physical abuse.
The UN stressed that listing does not automatically trigger sanctions, but can carry significant diplomatic and reputational consequences, and repeated listing can lead to restrictions related to UN peacekeeping participation.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General maintains open channels with all member states, including Israel.
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