UN Blacklists Israeli, Russian Forces for Sexual Abuse
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- UN report listed 77 government and non‑government parties in a dozen countries suspected of sexual violence, adding Israeli and Russian forces for the first time since the review began over 15 years ago.
- Israeli forces were alleged to have committed sexual violence against Palestinian detainees, with documented cases including rape, gang rape, forced nudity, and genital attacks on 14 men, seven women, nine boys and one girl from Gaza and the West Bank.
- Russian forces were blacklisted for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilian detainees in Ukraine, with the report verifying 310 cases, the majority involving male victims.
- Hamas remains on the blacklist after its Oct. 7 attack, and the report notes that many details of its alleged sexual violence cannot be independently confirmed because Israel denies UN investigators access.
- Danny Danon – Israel’s ambassador to the UN – condemned the inclusion as “unsubstantiated lies,” equating Israel with Hamas, ISIS and other terrorist groups, while Israel’s foreign ministry said it had “comprehensively refuted” the allegations.
- Vassily Nebenzia – Russia’s UN ambassador – denounced the blacklist as “unsubstantiated lies” and announced Russia is preparing a report on Ukrainian treatment of Russian prisoners of war.
Why it matters: The blacklist exposes Israel and Russia to heightened diplomatic pressure and possible legal scrutiny, while Hamas stays listed, signaling the UN’s willingness to hold state actors accountable for sexual abuse. This may affect aid, negotiations and the reputations of the two governments.
