United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that Israel and Russia risk being formally listed next year among parties “credibly suspected” of committing sexual violence in conflict.
The warning, contained in Guterres’ annual report to the UN Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence, highlights repeated patterns of abuse documented by UN monitors.
Guterres expressed grave concern over allegations against Israeli forces, particularly regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees. Evidence from several Israeli prisons, a detention facility, and a military base cited incidents of genital violence, prolonged forced nudity, and degrading strip searches. While Israel’s refusal to grant UN monitors access has limited the ability to determine whether the acts are systematic, the Secretary-General urged the government to end all sexual violence, investigate credible allegations, implement enforceable conduct codes, and allow UN oversight.
Earlier this year, UN-appointed experts accused Israel of “systematic sexual, reproductive and gender-based violence” against Palestinians, including the alleged gang rape of a prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention facility, which led to the victim’s hospitalisation and the detention of nine Israeli soldiers. Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, accusing the UN of relying on biased sources and urging it to focus on Hamas and the release of Israeli hostages.
The report also raised similar concerns about Russian forces and affiliated groups, detailing violations against Ukrainian prisoners of war in more than 70 detention facilities across Ukraine and Russia. Documented abuses included genital torture, electric shocks, forced nudity, and other degrading treatment aimed at extracting confessions or intelligence.
Guterres criticised Russia’s lack of cooperation with his special envoy and called for full engagement, immediate investigations, and accountability measures.
While neither Israel nor Russia is currently listed in the Secretary-General’s annex of offenders, Guterres warned that both could be added next year if credible violations persist or remain unaddressed.
