Decision prompts Israel to sever ties with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

On Thursday, international outlets reported that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has placed Israel on a blacklist of countries accused of committing sexual violence in war zones.

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To make that decision, the multilateral institution considered strong evidence of serious human rights violations by the Israeli Prison Service and other Israeli authorities.

“Reports from Palestinian detainees, foreign activists, and rights groups have repeatedly emphasized the sexual abuse and violence faced in Israeli detention,” Al Mayadeen recalled, noting that the most recent cases of sexual violence were perpetrated against Global Sumud Flotilla activists, who were illegally abducted by Israeli occupation forces.

“Alongside victim testimonies, Israeli soldiers themselves have boasted about sexually assaulting Palestinian women and children. In a recorded and published video, one Israeli soldier pointed at Gaza and admitted, ‘We have killed women and children,’ and added, ‘And by the way, do not worry … we rape them too,’” it added.

Israel Severs Ties with UN Secretary-General

On Thursday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry lashed out at Guterres over the decision to include Israel on the blacklist, calling it “shameful and absurd.”

“Given that Antonio Guterres has chosen to violate every standard of honesty, integrity and professionalism, Israel has decided to cut all ties with the secretary-general’s office and will wait until a new U.N. secretary-general is appointed,” it said and denied the accusations.

In 2025, however, Guterres already warned Israel that if it did not take action, it would be included on the list. He also called on Israel to hold accountable those responsible for sexual crimes committed by its security forces, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

Evidence of the conduct of the Zionist state and its occupation forces, however, is undeniable. For years, the Israeli NGO B’Tselem has documented numerous cases of sexual assaults on prisoners in Israeli jails.

One of the most well-known cases was the leak in 2024 of a video from the Israeli detention center at Sde Teiman showing several Israeli security agents abusing a Palestinian prisoner, who arrived at the hospital seriously injured with a rectal injury.

Impunity for acts of sexual violence committed by Zionist agents is also backed by strong evidence.

On Tuesday, Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir dismissed military prosecutor Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi from the army, while the Defense Ministry sought “many years” in prison for her for sharing the Sde Teiman video with the press. The new military prosecutor, Itay Offir, closed the case against five reserve soldiers suspected of perpetrating the rape.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – Al Mayadeen – Haaretz

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