UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Israel of potential inclusion on a “blacklist” concerning conflict-related sexual violence. This warning comes as Guterres cites “serious concerns” over allegations of sexual violence by Israeli security forces against Palestinians across various detention facilities. Although Israel is not currently on the list in the draft for the 2025 report, he indicated it might be included next year if conditions do not improve.
For the first time, Hamas has also been added to the blacklist, linked to reported assaults and insufficient response to these allegations. Guterres’s letter outlines measures for Israel to avoid blacklisting, such as creating enforcement systems and allowing UN access for investigations.
In light of Guterres’s claims, Israeli ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the allegations as biased and called for sanctions against Hamas instead. He expressed concern that blacklisting could lead to punitive measures similar to those faced by groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.
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