UN Blacklists Israeli Forces for Sexual Violence Against Detainees, Alongside Hamas and 13 Other Cases
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · May 31
UN Blacklists Israeli Forces for Sexual Violence Against Detainees, Alongside Hamas and 13 Other Cases
4 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · May 31
Israeli security forces were added to a U.N. blacklist of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrators over documented patterns of abuse against Palestinian detainees in the West Bank and Gaza.
The report placed Israeli forces alongside Hamas—cited over Oct. 7 abuses—and other state and non-state actors, saying the allegations involved detainees and that access for U.N. monitors was denied.
Israel condemned the move as a politically driven decision, with the Foreign Ministry calling the U.N. corrupt and saying it would sever all ties with Secretary-General António Guterres.
The blacklist also detailed severe abuses elsewhere, including 310 verified cases in Ukraine largely attributed to Russian forces, 90,199 reported sexual-violence cases in parts of Congo, and systematic abuse in Sudan, Libya and Yemen.
Israel’s inclusion puts it in a category usually associated with some of the world’s worst conflict zones, deepening its diplomatic isolation more than 2.5 years after Oct. 7.
With global sexual violence doubling, why is Israel's inclusion on a UN blacklist causing a diplomatic meltdown?
Israel and Hamas are now on the same UN blacklist. Can victims of sexual violence ever find justice?
The UN verified dozens of sexual violence cases. How was this possible while being barred from investigating?
UN 2025 Blacklist: Israeli Forces Named for Grave Abuses Against Children as Sexual Violence in Conflict Doubles Worldwide
Overview
In May 2026, the United Nations added Israel's armed and security forces to its blacklist for grave violations against children in armed conflict, a move that also includes Hamas militants after their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked the ongoing Gaza conflict. Rights groups have reported that, over the past three years, Israeli detention centers have become places where violence, including rape and humiliation, is common for Palestinians. Efforts by the UN to investigate these allegations faced obstacles, as disagreements over access and cooperation with Israel led to the suspension of a planned visit, making it difficult to fully verify the reported abuses.