UN Report: Sexual Violence in Conflicts Doubles – Accusations Against Israel and Russia

Accusations Against Israel: Security Forces on UN List

The report newly lists Israel among the actors credibly accused of systematic sexual violence. Specifically, Israeli security forces are accused of rape with objects, gang rapes, attempted rapes, and targeted shooting of genitals.

The UN has thus verified several cases of conflict-related sexual violence involving 14 men, 7 women, 9 boys, and one girl from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The report states: "Rapes and gang rapes, in some cases repeated, were perpetrated against nine victims, the majority of whom were from the Gaza Strip."

Russia is listed in the report for the first time among actors credibly suspected of systematic sexual violence in armed conflicts. Hamas is also noted on the UN list due to repeated incidents.

Israel Rejects Accusations and Breaks Off Contact

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs sharply rejected the accusations, calling them "baseless allegations" without factual basis. The ministry described the UN's decision as "shameful and absurd" and accused the United Nations of seeking to create a false symmetry between Israel and the sexual atrocities committed by Hamas.

Furthermore, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the UN of "long-standing, institutionalized hostility" towards Israel. The Israeli UN mission in New York subsequently announced it would break off contact with the UN Secretariat under Secretary-General Guterres.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that the United Nations learned of Israel's decision from social media. However, he added that they remain open to dialogue at any time. The report itself had not yet been published at the time of reporting.

Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War in Other Conflict Regions

In addition to the accusations against Israel and Russia, the report also documents sexual violence in other conflict areas. In the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, actors deliberately used sexual violence to gain territorial control – including over lucrative raw material deposits.

In Sudan, women and girls were attacked based on their ethnicity. ISIS in Iraq and the Levant, as well as Al-Qaeda, used abductions, forced marriage, human trafficking, and hostage-taking for strategic purposes.

In total, the UN verified 310 cases of sexual violence in 2025, of which 52 occurred in the same year. The victims included 280 men, 26 women, and 4 girls. The acts included rape, gang rape, and genital mutilation.

Pramila Patten summarized the situation, stating: "Civilians have been targeted by state and non-state actors through rape, gang rape, abduction, and sexual enslavement."