UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Israel about the possibility that the country’s military could potentially cite the country’s military in the UN report on sexual violence, according to a spokesman for Israel’s mission to the United Nations.
“I have notified Israeli military and security forces for a potential list in the next reporting cycle due to serious concerns about certain forms of sexual violence patterns consistently documented by the United Nations,” Guterres wrote in a letter sent Monday to Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon.
The United Nations office of the Special Representative of the Executive Director on Sexual Violence in Conflicts has published an annual report entitled Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.
Guterres’ letter to Donon shared by Israel’s mission to the United Nations said the UN was concerned that “reliable information on violations by Israeli armed security forces was made against Palestinians at several prisons, detention centres and military bases.”
“Because of the consistent denial of access to the UN monitor, it has been difficult to make decisive decisions regarding the patterns, trends, and systematicity of sexual violence in this situation.”
Guterres urged Israel to “take necessary steps to immediately halt all acts of sexual violence.”
A 2024 report by Israeli major human rights group B’tselem said sexual violence was repeatedly carried out by soldiers or prison guards against Palestinian detainees.
The IDF repeatedly refused allegations of systemic abuse.
Israel operates several prison facilities that house Palestinians, including Sde Teiman and Ketziot prisons in the country’s Negev desert, Megiddo and Gilboa near the West Bank, and Ethion in Jerusalem.
Last summer, Israel transferred hundreds of Palestinian detainees from Sde Teiman after a petition from human rights groups – a massive depiction of CNN reports about makeshift prisons – it was closed. In September, the court of justice warned that prisons must comply with the law, but did not order the government to close it.
In response to a letter Tuesday, Danon said, “The Secretary-General has again chosen to re-adopt it as a word of language in the unspoken accusation that is tainted by biased publications,” urging the United Nations to focus on the sexual violence Hamas committed.
In March, a UN committee found that Israel is “increasingly adopting sexual, reproductive, and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians.” He also accused Israel of “engaging in genocide through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive health facilities.”
Israel’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva strongly rejected the statement at the time, calling the Israeli army a “shameless attempt.”
Last year, a UN team discovered “clear and convincing” information that Gaza hostages have been sexually abused and that there is “rational basis” to believe that sexual violence is ongoing there.
Pramila Patten, the UN envoy on sexual violence in conflict, said the team found a reasonable basis for believing that conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred during the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. It corresponded to the United Nations’ most definitive finding of sexual assault allegations in the aftermath of the attack.
