UN Chief Warns Israel Over Sexual Violence Allegations Against Armed Forces, Urges Immediate Action
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has issued a warning to Israel regarding the potential inclusion of its military forces in an upcoming UN report focusing on sexual violence in conflict. This is according to a representative from Israel’s mission to the UN.
In a letter sent to Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, on Monday, Guterres expressed concern over “significant patterns” of sexual violence by Israeli forces against Palestinians, which have been repeatedly documented by the UN.
The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict annually publishes a report titled Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. The upcoming edition may feature Israel due to these concerning patterns.
Guterres’ letter, shared by Israel’s mission to the UN, highlighted credible reports of violations by Israeli forces against Palestinians in various prisons, detention centers, and military bases. However, the lack of access for UN monitors has made it challenging to definitively establish patterns, trends, and systemic nature of the sexual violence.
Guterres called on Israel to take immediate action to halt all acts of sexual violence.
In a 2024 report by B’Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights group, it was revealed that sexual violence was repeatedly committed against Palestinian detainees by soldiers or prison guards.
Israel denies allegations of systematic abuse. The country operates several prisons holding Palestinians, including Sde Teiman and Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert, Megiddo and Gilboa near the West Bank, Etzion in Jerusalem, among others.
Last summer, Israel transferred hundreds of Palestinian detainees out of Sde Teiman following a petition from human rights groups. While the High Court of Justice warned the prison must comply with the law, it did not order the government to shut it down.
Responding to the letter, Danon claimed that Guterres was relying on “baseless accusations” and urged the UN to focus on sexual violence committed by Hamas instead.
In March, a UN commission found that Israel had increasingly employed sexual, reproductive, and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination. The commission also accused Israel of carrying out “genocidal acts” through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities.
Israel’s mission to the UN in Geneva strongly rejected this statement, calling it a “shameless attempt to incriminate” the Israeli military.
Last year, a UN team also found “clear and convincing” evidence of sexual abuse against hostages in Gaza, with reasonable grounds to believe that the sexual violence was ongoing there.
Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, stated that there were “reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape,” occurred during Hamas’ October 7 terror attack in Israel. This represents the UN’s most definitive finding on allegations of sexual assault in the aftermath of the attack.