The United Nations has added Israel and Russia to its annual blacklist of entities responsible for or suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones. The report notes that nearly 10,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were recorded worldwide last year, with the number of cases rising sharply in 2025 from 2024.
For the first time since the review began over 15 years ago, Israeli forces have been included for their treatment of Palestinian detainees. The UN verified sexual abuse of 31 Palestinian men, women, and children from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank between 2023 and 2025. The report cites credible information regarding repeated gang-rapes and the use of sexual violence as a form of torture in prisons and other detention centres. Secretary-General António Guterres informed Israel of an increasing number of these cases.
The report also documents hundreds of cases of sexual violence linked to Russian forces in Ukraine. Both Israel and Russia deny the allegations. UN investigators stated they faced continued denial of access from authorities in both countries.
In response to the report, Israel's foreign ministry announced it would sever all ties with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The Israeli mission to the UN stated it will have no contact with Guterres' office as long as he serves as the head of the organisation, describing the move as a protest against the report's findings.