• The UN includes Israel and Russia in its blacklist for sexual violence in conflicts.
• Israel's ambassador claims the decision is politically motivated, denying all allegations.
• The UN report details documented cases of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees.

The United Nations has officially added both Israel and Russia to its blacklist concerning conflict-related sexual violence, as revealed in a report circulated among Security Council members. This marks the first time Israeli forces have been blacklisted since the UN commenced this review over 15 years ago, due to their treatment of Palestinian detainees. The report states, "incidents and patterns of sexual violence continued to be documented" in both countries, amid ongoing conflict and military actions, according to aljazeera, lemonde, scmp, and reuters.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, criticized the UN's decision as "political" and lacking a factual basis, asserting that the allegations against Israel are "outrageous." He emphasized that this decision equates Israel with "Hamas, ISIS, and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world," which he described as a new low for the UN, according to aljazeera, lemonde, and reuters.

The UN report reveals alarming patterns of sexual violence committed against Palestinian detainees by Israeli security forces, including severe cases of rape and torture. Specifically, the report documented incidents involving 14 men, seven women, nine boys, and one girl across the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Testing the validity of these allegations, the UN noted that access to Israeli detention facilities was denied, which hindered comprehensive investigations, reports lemonde, scmp, and reuters.

Meanwhile, Russia is similarly accused of sexual violence against prisoners of war in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, marking its first inclusion in this report as well. The document indicates significant sexual violence incidents involving armed forces and prison services, with documented cases including rape and other forms of abuse. Both Israel and Russia have expressed outrage at their inclusion in the blacklist, citing what they claim is a politically motivated agenda by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to aljazeera, lemonde, and scmp.