The United Nations has added Israel and Russia to a blacklist of countries suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict areas. This action led Israel’s foreign ministry to announce it will cut all ties with U. N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres’ latest report goes further than the previous year, identifying Israel and Russia as parties suspected of sexual violence and including disturbing accounts of abuses by their armed and security forces.
Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering the ongoing Gaza conflict, was already included on the blacklist. Israeli U. N. Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the decision to rank Israel alongside Hamas, calling it a political move that ignores the facts. He stated that Israel had responded thoroughly to the allegations and had invited U. N. officials to inspect the situation, but they did not take up the offer.
Being on the blacklist does not imply automatic penalties like sanctions, but it can harm the countries’ reputations and disqualify them from U. N. peacekeeping missions. Danon stated that, because of Guterres’ actions, Israel would cut ties with the Secretary-General’s office until a new Secretary-General is chosen later this year.
The report highlighted specific cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including actions taken against men, women, and children from Gaza and the West Bank. It detailed incidents of rape, gang rape, and other forms of sexual abuse, primarily committed by Israeli forces during detainment or interrogation. Victims included journalists and human rights advocates, and some abuses were recorded.
Additionally, the report documented 310 cases of sexual violence by Russian forces in Ukraine, affecting mostly men, but also women and girls. These cases involved severe acts of violence, including rape and genital mutilation.
With information from Reuters
