Multiple international news outlets report that the United Nations has formally notified Israel that it will be included in the UN Secretary‑General’s annual report on conflict‑related sexual violence, a document that lists parties responsible for, or credibly accused of, sexual violence in conflict zones.
According to reporting by AFP, Al Jazeera, and The Straits Times, and other agencies, Israeli officials confirmed that they received advance notice from the UN indicating that Israeli entities — including the Israeli Prison Service — will appear in the annex (“the blacklist”) of the upcoming report. The UN customarily informs listed parties before the report is made public.
The Jerusalem Post was the first outlet to report that the Israeli Prison Service would be included in the annex, citing Israeli officials familiar with the notification. This reporting was later echoed by AFP and additional international agencies, providing broader confirmation that Israel had been formally notified.
The anticipated listing comes amid extensive documentation by Palestinian and international human rights organizations reporting abuse, torture, and sexualized violence against Palestinian detainees from Gaza and the West Bank.
Since October 2023, hundreds of testimonies have been collected from released detainees, medical personnel, and legal observers describing severe mistreatment in detention.
Israeli officials publicly condemned the reported UN decision and announced a freeze in communication with the Secretary‑General’s office. The UN has not yet issued a detailed public statement, pending the release of the full report.
Human rights organizations have long documented patterns of sexualized violence, forced nudity, and gender‑based abuse against Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.
Human Rights Watch has reported cases involving sexual humiliation, threats of rape, and invasive strip searches during arrest and interrogation, including incidents involving detainees from Gaza held in military or security facilities after October 2023.
Amnesty International has likewise documented sexual harassment, degrading treatment, and gender‑based violence in Israeli detention centers, describing these practices as part of broader patterns of torture and ill‑treatment.
Palestinian human rights groups have provided detailed testimonies. Al‑Haq, Ad-Dameer, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) have collected numerous statements from released detainees, medical staff, and legal observers describing sexualized torture, forced nudity, threats of sexual assault, and abuse targeting both men and women.
These organizations report that such violations increased after October 2023, particularly in facilities where detainees from Gaza were held incommunicado.
Several UN human rights experts, including Special Rapporteurs on torture, violence against women, and arbitrary detention, have issued public statements since late 2023 expressing concern over reports of sexualized violence and gender‑based abuse in Israeli detention facilities.
These experts have highlighted patterns of forced nudity, sexual humiliation, and threats of rape used during interrogation and transport.
While many human rights groups have not yet issued new statements specifically responding to Israel’s reported inclusion in the upcoming UN report, their previously published investigations form a significant part of the publicly available record on sexualized and gender‑based abuse in Israeli detention settings.
The full scope and wording of the UN Secretary‑General’s report will become clear once the document is officially released.
