Israel and Russia added to UN blacklist of countries with inadequate response

The United Nations has released a report detailing nearly 10,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence worldwide in 2025. According to the report, Israel is listed on a blacklist of countries suspected of committing such violence against civilians.

The list was part of a comprehensive report on conflict-related sexual violence, which also highlighted incidents in other regions, including Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. The report stated that Israeli security forces were responsible for at least 14 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and physical violence to the genitals.

In response to the report’s findings, Israel’s foreign ministry announced plans to sever ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. However, the UN has pushed back on accusations made by Israel regarding its inclusion on the list.

The report also noted that Israeli authorities had been invited to provide information on measures taken to prevent such violence, but did not respond. The UN official who authored the report, Pramila Patten, stated that she had requested details about initial steps to implement preventive measures, but was not provided with any response.

The report’s findings were based on verified incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, inflicted against civilians in various regions. It also highlighted cases of targeted shooting of the genitals, strip searches conducted without apparent security justification, and forced nudity.

In addition to Israel, 77 parties are listed as responsible for patterns of conflict-related sexual violence, according to the report’s annex. The UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine had verified 310 cases of such violence perpetrated by Russian armed and security forces, resulting in injuries to over 300 individuals.

Source: Al Jazeera