Israel and Russia are now included in the “list of parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence” in armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council.
Israeli and Russian security forces have been added to a United Nations blacklist on sexual violence in conflict, according to a report reviewed Thursday by AFP.
Last August, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel and Russia of possible inclusion on the list, but “incidents and patterns of sexual violence continued to be documented by the United Nations” in the war in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian territories, states his report, which is to be sent shortly to Security Council members.
The document says that despite this warning, UN investigators faced “continued denial of access” from authorities in both countries.
Israel and Russia are now included in the “list of parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence” in armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council.
Regarding Israel, “in 2025, patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to be documented,” the report says.
It notes that the cases verified by the UN are indicative of multi-year trends but are not “comprehensive” given the denial of access to Israeli detention centers.
The perpetrators are identified by the UN as members of the Israeli military, security forces, and prison services.
On Thursday morning, Israel denounced the “shameful and absurd” decision by Guterres that would effectively place Israel and Hamas — already on the list — on equal footing.
Regarding Russia, the report highlights sexual violence in occupied Ukrainian territories and within Russia itself, perpetrated by armed forces and prison services, particularly against prisoners of war, who provided testimony following their release.
Drawing on data from the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the report cites 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, genital mutilation, and electric shocks, committed overwhelmingly against men.
