UN Blacklists Israeli and Russian Forces in Annual Conflict Sexual Violence Report
UNITED NATIONS: In an unprecedented move, an annual United Nations report documenting sexual violence in conflict zones has blacklisted both Israeli and Russian armed forces for the first time since the global review began over 15 years ago.
The 35-page report, which was shared by the Israeli mission to the UN late Thursday ahead of its official release on Friday, paints a grim picture of global conflict zones, noting a sharp rise in sexual violence cases in 2025 compared to the previous year. In total, the document blacklists 77 government and non-government parties across a dozen nations.
Detainee Abuse and Wartime Conduct
The inclusion of state military forces from Israel and Russia marks a significant escalation in the UN’s public condemnation of wartime conduct. Both nations had been placed “on notice” in last year’s report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who warned that they could face inclusion if their respective records did not improve.
According to the report, the United Nations documented explicit “patterns of sexual violence” against Palestinians detained in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories throughout 2025. Investigators verified multiple incidents of conflict-related sexual violence—often utilized as a form of torture—inflicted upon 14 men, seven women, nine boys, and one girl from Gaza and the West Bank.
Russian armed and security forces were similarly blacklisted for the first time this year, cited for sexual violence perpetrated against prisoners of war and civilians detained during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The 2025 list also continues to include Hamas militants, who were previously blacklisted following their October 7, 2023, attack inside Israel that precipitated the current war in Gaza.
Diplomatic Blowback
The blacklisting has triggered immediate and furious diplomatic blowback. Israel has categorically denied the accusations regarding its treatment of Palestinian detainees.
The ambassadors of both Israel and Russia expressed profound outrage at their inclusion on the list, lashing out directly at Secretary-General Guterres. For Israel, being placed on the same list as Hamas—the militant group it has been fighting a devastating war against for over two years—is viewed as a severe diplomatic affront.
Despite the fierce denials, the report stands as a stark international indictment, underscoring a disturbing global trend of sexual violence being increasingly weaponized in the world’s most volatile conflict zones.