The United Nations has added Israel to its blacklist of parties suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, prompting Israel to sever ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to Israel's UN ambassador.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said in a video posted on X on Thursday: "We are done with this secretary-general," denouncing the upcoming report from Guterres' office.
The UN chief's annual report on conflict-related sexual violence is customarily presented to relevant states before publication. Last August, the report warned that Israel could be added to the list of parties suspected of or responsible for sexual violence in armed conflict.
"The decision to blacklist Israel and accuse us of using sexual violence as a weapon of war is an outrageous decision," Danon said. "The secretary-general and his team continue to spread lies against Israel. To put us and Hamas terrorists on the same list, that's unacceptable."
The Israeli mission to the UN said in a statement that it will have no contact with the secretary-general's office as long as Guterres serves as head of the organization. The country's foreign ministry also expressed anger over the upcoming report.
Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry, said on X: "The shameful and absurd UN decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV report is further proof of the UN's true nature: a politicised and corrupt organisation that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission."
Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said they were aware of Danon's remarks but added: "For our part, the secretary-general's door remains open."
Last August, the UN cited "credible information" regarding sexual violence committed by Israeli security forces against Palestinian detainees in prisons and said UN inspectors had been denied access to the facilities. Danon claimed Israel had invited the UN to verify the allegations but they chose not to come.
Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, especially those taken from Gaza during Israel's brutal war since 2023, have long reported dehumanizing treatment, including torture and sexual violence. International human rights organizations describe these testimonies as part of a broader systematic pattern.
A report from the West Bank Protection Consortium last month found that sexual violence and other gender-based abuse by Israeli settlers and soldiers are spurring Palestinians to leave the occupied West Bank.
Even foreigners, including those on a recent Gaza-bound aid flotilla, have alleged abuse in Israeli detention, including at least 15 separate cases of sexual assault or rape.
Earlier this month, Israel also rejected accusations of rape detailed in a column by New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof, based on accounts of 14 Palestinian victims, and threatened to sue the paper.
Relations between the UN and Israel have reached an all-time low since October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities have criticized Guterres and other UN officials for condemning its conduct in Gaza. The UN chief was declared "persona non grata" in Israel in 2024.
Source: www.aljazeera.com