UN places Israeli entities on sexual violence blacklist alongside Hamas
Israel freezes ties with UN Secretary-General’s office after move condemned as a “moral disgrace” by ambassador Danny Danon
The United Nations has added Israeli entities to its blacklist of parties accused of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, placing them alongside Hamas and other terrorist organisations in a move that has sparked outrage from Israeli officials and Jewish advocacy groups.
According to reports first published by The Jerusalem Post, the Israel Prison Service will appear on the 2026 blacklist, while additional Israeli authorities have reportedly been placed under a monitoring framework for possible future inclusion.
The move follows Hamas being added to the same UN blacklist in August 2025 over sexual violence committed during the 7 October attacks and against hostages held in Gaza.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused the organisation of ignoring evidence submitted by Israel and making a politically motivated decision.
“The UN has added Israel to the blacklist of sexual violence in conflict zones, alongside the world’s most brutal terrorist organisations – Hamas and ISIS,” Danon wrote on X.
“This is a political decision! Disconnected from the facts and reality! Israel submitted evidence, documents, and detailed responses to every claim.
“We invited UN representatives to come to the field and examine things up close, and they, of course, chose not to do so.
“When facts don’t fit the narrative, at the UN, they simply change the narrative.”
Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of systematic sexual abuse within its detention facilities.
The decision comes after UN Secretary-General António Guterres said last year he was “gravely concerned” by allegations involving Palestinian detainees and warned Israel it could face inclusion on the blacklist if concerns persisted.
Israel has reportedly responded by freezing relations with the UN Secretary-General’s office and cancelling a planned visit by Pramila Patten, the UN official responsible for monitoring sexual violence in conflict.
The decision also comes amid a growing dispute between Israel and The New York Times over allegations involving Palestinian detainees.
Earlier this month, the Israeli government announced plans to sue the newspaper and columnist Nicholas Kristof for defamation following the publication of an opinion piece detailing allegations of sexual abuse against Palestinian prisoners.
Responding to the UN decision, Danon linked the move to what he described as a wider campaign against Israel.
“We saw the lies in The New York Times, and now we see another lie coming from the UN,” he wrote on X.
A spokesperson for The New York Times reportedly rejected the threatened legal action, describing the claims as “without merit” and defending Kristof’s article as “deeply reported” and corroborated.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, also criticised the decision.
“The UN has once again descended into moral bankruptcy by placing Israel on this blacklist, alongside Hamas, the very terrorists who systematically raped, mutilated, and sexually tortured Israeli women, men, and children on 7 October, and thereafter against the hostages in Gaza,” Neuer said.
“Israel provided the UN with extensive documentation disproving the accusation.
“The decision strips the UN of any remaining credibility and reveals the extent to which it has been captured by those who hate Israel more than they hate rape as a weapon of war.”
Sylvan Adams, president of WJC Israel, also condemned the move, saying: “By adding Israeli entities to a ‘blacklist’ of sexual violence, Guterres has created a baseless, caustic equivalency between a democratic state fighting for its survival and the world’s most depraved terror organisations.”
The latest row adds to growing tensions between Israel and the UN over its handling of the war in Gaza, including disputes surrounding investigations into Hamas atrocities and allegations involving UN agencies following the 7 October attacks.
Jewish News has contacted the Israeli Embassy in London for comment.
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