UN adds Israel and Russia to blacklist for sexual violence in conflict

The UN has added Israel and Russia to a blacklist for sexual violence in conflict, citing abuse by security forces including rape of male 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. Israeli attacks included repeated gang-rapes and the use of sexual violence as a form of torture, the report said. Other violations include rape with objects, attempted rape, attacks on genitals, targeted shooting of genitals, touching of breasts and genitals, forced nudity and threats of rape. These cases were “indicative of incidents and patterns” rather than a comprehensive summary of conflict-related sexual violence by Israelis, because of restrictions on UN investigators. Israel barred UN experts from detention centres, blocked travel to Gaza , and has threatened Palestinian detainees if they report abuse after their release. Russia also obstructed investigations into “systemic” sexual violence against Ukrainians, barring monitors from accessing prisoners of war and civilians in detention, the UN said. Despite these challenges, investigators verified 310 cases of abuse, including rape and gang-rape, genital mutilation and applying electric shocks to genitals. Most victims were men , with 26 women and four girls also abused. Russia deploys systematic sexual torture against Ukrainians, both civilians and prisoners of war, in “almost all” detention centres, the UN previously found . …