UN Blacklists Israel Over Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Claims

Jakarta – Israel has reacted angrily after the United Nations reportedly placed the country on a blacklist for conflict-related sexual violence, prompting its envoy to declare a suspension of ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Last August, the UN cited what it described as “credible information” pointing to acts of sexual violence committed by Israeli security forces against Palestinian detainees held in prisons and detention centers. The organization also noted that its inspectors had been denied access to these facilities.

Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, particularly those detained from Gaza since the escalation of conflict in 2023, have long reported inhumane treatment by guards and soldiers, including torture and sexual abuse. International human rights organizations say these testimonies indicate a broader and systematic pattern of abuse.

A report released last month by the West Bank Protection Consortium also found that sexual violence and other forms of gender-based abuse by Israeli settlers and soldiers have contributed to the displacement of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank.

Foreign nationals were not exempt. Individuals involved in a recent humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza reported that activists detained after being intercepted in international waters experienced mistreatment, including at least 15 alleged cases of sexual assault or rape while in Israeli custody.

Earlier this month, Israel rejected allegations of rape involving its troops, as detailed in a column by veteran New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof. The Israeli government responded by threatening legal action against the newspaper. Kristof’s reporting was based on testimonies from 14 Palestinian victims, both men and women.

Relations between Israel and the United Nations have deteriorated sharply, reaching their lowest point since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched attacks that preceded Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The conflict has since resulted in the deaths of more than 72,000 Palestinians.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly criticized Guterres and other UN officials for condemning their military actions in Gaza. In 2024, Israel declared the UN Secretary-General persona non grata.

“We are done with this Secretary-General,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a video posted on X on Thursday, as he criticized the anticipated report from Guterres’ office.

The UN Secretary-General’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence is typically shared with concerned parties before publication. In August, the report warned that Israel could be included among those suspected of or responsible for such violations in armed conflict.

“The decision to blacklist Israel and accuse us of using sexual violence as a weapon of war is outrageous,” Danon said.

“The Secretary-General and his team continue to spread falsehoods against Israel. Placing us in the same category as Hamas terrorists is unacceptable.”

Israel’s mission to the UN said in a statement that it would cease all contact with the Secretary-General’s office as long as Guterres remains in office.

The country’s foreign ministry also voiced strong opposition to the forthcoming report. “The UN’s shameful and baseless decision to include Israel in the annex of the CRSV (conflict-related sexual violence) report is further evidence of the organization’s politicization and corruption,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein on X.

Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, urged Israel to respond constructively to its inclusion on the list of countries accused of conflict-related sexual violence.

“Rather than cutting ties with the UN Secretary-General for exposing sexual violence by Israeli forces, I urge Israel to sever ties with any perpetrators and ensure they are investigated, prosecuted, and punished,” Saul wrote on X.

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