UN to Blacklist Israeli Bodies Alongside Hamas, Prompting Israel to Freeze Ties With Guterres
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · May 27
UN to Blacklist Israeli Bodies Alongside Hamas, Prompting Israel to Freeze Ties With Guterres
3 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · May 27
Thursday or Friday, the UN is expected to add several Israeli bodies — including the Israel Prison Service — to its conflict-related sexual violence blacklist alongside Hamas.
The move follows UN findings of "reasonable grounds" that Hamas committed rape and other sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attack and against hostages in Gaza, with Israeli officials saying pressure then mounted to include Israel too.
Israel responded by freezing relations with Secretary-General António Guterres' office and canceling a planned visit by UN sexual-violence envoy Pramila Patten, saying ties will stay frozen while he remains in office.
Ambassador Danny Danon called the decision a "moral disgrace," arguing Israel had submitted documents, data and responses to the allegations and invited UN officials to examine the claims firsthand.
The expected listing deepens a broader Israel-UN rupture in Guterres' final months, with Israeli officials portraying it as a political decision that puts state bodies on the same roster as Hamas and ISIS.
As the UN blacklists both Israel and Hamas, what does this unprecedented move mean for future peace negotiations?
With both sides accused of atrocities, how can the truth about wartime sexual violence ever be truly verified?