UN Adds Israel and Russia to Sexual Violence Blacklist

A first-time listing

An annual United Nations report by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres added Israeli and Russian forces, for the first time, to the blacklist of parties accused of conflict-related sexual violence. In all, the report lists 77 government and non-government entities.

The document detailed "patterns of sexual violence" against Palestinians held in Israeli detention facilities in 2025. It verified multiple incidents involving 14 men, seven women, nine boys and one girl from Gaza and the West Bank, drawn from the cases reviewed by the United Nations.

Israel severs ties with the secretary-general

In response, Israel announced it would cut ties with the secretary-general's office for as long as Guterres serves in the role. The move marked a sharp escalation in an already strained relationship between Israel and the world body, and went well beyond a routine diplomatic protest.

Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon made the country's position clear in a social media statement on May 28, addressing the listing directly.

"Done with this UN Secretary-General"

"We are done with this UN Secretary-General," Danon wrote in his statement.

The rupture adds to mounting friction between Israel and the United Nations over the war in Gaza. With allegations centered on detention facilities tied to Gaza and the West Bank, and Russian forces named alongside Israel for the first time, the dispute carries broad implications for Middle East diplomacy and is being closely watched across the region.