United Nations Chief Issues Warning: Israel's Possible Inclusion in Upcoming Sexual Violence Survey
The United Nations has issued a warning to Israel over allegations of sexual violence committed by its armed forces against Palestinians, particularly in detention settings.
In a letter sent to Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, on Monday, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about "credible information of violations by Israeli armed and security forces, perpetrated against Palestinians in several prisons, a detention center, and military base."
The letter urged Israel to take "necessary measures to ensure immediate cessation of all acts of sexual violence." This warning comes as the UN has been facing challenges in accessing detailed data due to Israel’s denial of access to UN monitors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The UN's Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict publishes an annual report titled Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. The most recent report raised significant concerns about sexual violence by Israeli armed and security forces.
Prison facilities in Israel that hold Palestinians include Sde Teiman and Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert, Megiddo and Gilboa near the West Bank, Etzion in Jerusalem, and more. Last summer, hundreds of Palestinian detainees were transferred out of Sde Teiman following a petition from human rights groups.
In September, the High Court of Justice warned Sde Teiman to abide by the law, but did not order the government to shut it down. However, a 2024 report by leading Israeli human rights group B'Tselem stated that sexual violence was repeatedly carried out by soldiers or prison guards against Palestinian detainees.
The UN commission also accused Israel of carrying out "genocidal acts through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities." A UN team found "clear and convincing" information that hostages in Gaza were sexually abused, and there are "reasonable grounds" to believe the sexual violence was ongoing there.
The UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, made the most definitive finding on allegations of sexual assault in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel. The IDF repeatedly rejected allegations of systematic abuse, characterizing them as biased.
Nonetheless, the UN maintains ongoing concern and documentation regarding these abuses. The Secretary-General has called for clear orders within military chains of command to prevent sexual violence, accountability for perpetrators, and unimpeded access for UN monitoring and services, in line with UN Security Council resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence.
- The UN's ongoing concern about sexual violence extends beyond the recent allegations against Israel's armed forces, as the annual report by the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict commonly raises such concerns about Israeli forces.
- The Middle East, with its ongoing war-and-conflicts and political turmoil, is a region where the world closely monitors general news, particularly regarding accusations of sexual violence by various armed forces, with Israel being a recent focus due to credible information of such violations.
