New York, 29 May (H.S.): Israel and Russia have been formally added to the United Nations’ blacklist of parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in armed conflict, according to a report transmitted today to members of the UN Security Council.

The listing, contained in UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ annual report on conflict-related sexual violence, identifies both states as falling under the category of “parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence” on the Security Council’s agenda.

The UN blacklist is an annex to the Secretary-General’s annual report and serves as a powerful diplomatic tool. It publicly names actors state and non-state alikedocumented to have engaged in systematic sexual violence during war. Inclusion can trigger security Council scrutiny, targeted sanctions, and international condemnation .

Last August, Guterres had already warned Israel and Russia that they faced possible addition to the list after UN investigators documented ongoing patterns of abuse. However, “incidents and patterns of sexual violence continued to be documented” in the war in Ukraine and in the occupied Palestinian territories, justifying the inclusion, the report states.

Regarding Israel, the report states that in 2025, “patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory continued to be documented.” The verified cases, though not comprehensive due to continued denial of access to Israeli detention centers, point to multi-year trends.

The UN identifies the perpetrators as members of the Israeli military, security forces, and prison services. Documented abuses include genital violence, prolonged forced nudity, and repeated strip searches carried out in degrading and abusive ways, often for interrogation purposes.

Israel strongly rejected the listing. On Thursday, Israeli officials condemned Guterres’ decision as “shameful and absurd,” arguing it effectively places Israel on the same footing as Hamas which is already on the blacklist .

On Russia, the report highlights sexual violence in occupied Ukrainian territories and within Russia itself, perpetrated by armed forces and prison services, especially against prisoners of war who provided testimony after release .

Drawing on data from the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the report cites 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, genital mutilation, and the use of electric shocks. These acts were committed overwhelmingly against men .

Guterres had previously expressed “grave concern” over credible reports of genital abuse such as electrocution, beatings, and burns to the genitals, along with forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate victims and extract confessions or information .

Despite the earlier warning, UN investigators faced “continued denial of access” from authorities in both Israel and Russia, limiting the scope of verification. The report notes that the verified cases are indicative of broader patterns but are not exhaustive because investigators could not fully access detention facilities in either country .

The document is now set to be reviewed by Security Council members, where it may fuel debates over accountability, potential sanctions, and international pressure to halt conflict-related sexual violence.

Sexual violence in armed conflict remains one of the most devastating consequences of war, and the UN blacklist is intended to shame, isolate, and pressure listed actors to end such practices and allow independent monitoring .

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar