UN adds Israeli and Russian forces to blacklist for sexual violence

Key Points:

• The United Nations' 2025 report on sexual violence in conflicts has included Israeli forces for the first time, citing documented cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees; Israel denies the allegations and criticizes the report as biased.
• The report blacklists 77 parties globally, including Israel’s armed forces and Hamas militants, and notes a sharp rise in sexual violence cases in 2025 compared to 2024.
• Russian armed and security forces were also blacklisted for the first time for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians in the Ukraine conflict, with 310 verified cases mostly involving male victims.
• Both Israel and Russia expressed strong objections to their inclusion on the blacklist, with their ambassadors condemning the U.N. Secretary-General and disputing the report’s findings.
• The report highlights various forms of sexual violence committed by Israeli forces, including rape, gang rape, physical violence, and forced nudity, while acknowledging difficulties in verifying some Hamas-related allegations due to restricted access.