UN adds Israel to sexual violence blacklist alongside Hamas

The United Nations has added Israeli entities to its blacklist of parties suspected of committing sexual violence in armed conflict, placing them alongside Hamas and other terrorist organizations, according to reports published May 28, 2026. The Israeli Prison Service will be included on the 2026 list, along with other Israeli authorities under monitoring for potential future inclusion. In response, Israel announced it is freezing all contact with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' office, with Ambassador Danny Danon declaring the move "a moral disgrace" that compares Israel to "the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world." The decision follows months of escalation, during which the UN placed Israel "on notice" in August 2025 citing "credible information" regarding alleged sexual violence against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. Israel claims it provided extensive documentation and data to rebut allegations, and invited UN representatives to visit the country and examine the facilities firsthand, but says the Secretary-General chose to ignore the evidence. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated the Secretary-General's door remains open despite the Israeli boycott. This development comes amid ongoing tensions since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched its attack triggering Israel's war on Gaza, and follows a controversial New York Times op-ed in early May detailing alleged sexual assault allegations from 14 Palestinian detainees. The timing of this blacklist addition coincides with Guterres' final months in office, as his term ends December 31, 2026. Israel views the move as the Secretary-General's "last hurrah" amid a leadership contest. Human rights attorney Elliot M. Malin described the decision as "a major blight on the UN" and called for democratic states to withhold funding until it is retracted. UK Lawyers for Israel CEO Jonathan Turner called any comparison between allegations against Israeli authorities and Hamas's documented atrocities "highly offensive and misleading," encouraging UN officials to review the independent Civil Commission's findings on the systematic sexual violence committed during the October 7 massacre.