UN Blacklist Adds Israel and Russia for Sexual Violence

The United Nations included Israeli armed and security forces and Russian armed and security forces in its annual blacklist for conflict-related sexual violence on 28-29 May 2026. The 2025 report listed 77 government and non-government parties across a dozen countries.

UN blacklist on conflict-related sexual violence

The United Nations Secretary-General publishes an annual report on conflict-related sexual violence. The blacklist names parties credibly suspected of patterns of rape, sexual slavery, forced nudity, genital violence, and other forms of sexual abuse in armed conflict.

Israel’s inclusion in the 2025 report

Israel was included in the blacklist for the first time since the review began more than 15 years ago. The inclusion was linked to documented patterns of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Verified incidents included rape with objects, gang rape, physical violence to genitals, forced nudity, and abusive strip searches. The cases affected 14 men, seven women, nine boys, and one girl from Gaza and the West Bank.

Russia’s inclusion in the 2025 report

Russian armed and security forces were blacklisted for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians detained during the war in Ukraine. The report recorded 310 verified cases, with most victims being men. The report also noted continued denial of access to UN investigators by authorities in both Israel and Russia during documentation efforts.

Important Facts for Exams

• The United Nations annual report on conflict-related sexual violence is linked to the mandate of the UN Secretary-General.
• Hamas militants were also included on the 2025 blacklist after the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
• The UN verified more than 4,600 conflict-related sexual violence cases in 2024.
• The 2024 figure marked a 25% increase over 2023.

UN reporting and diplomatic response

António Guterres warned both Israel and Russia in the previous year’s report about possible inclusion on the list. Israel denied the allegations and announced that it would cease cooperation with the UN Secretary-General’s office from 28 May 2026.