United Nations – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stern warning to Israel, stating that the United Nations possesses “credible information” indicating sexual violence and other violations committed by Israeli forces against detained Palestinians. The allegations, which Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed as “baseless accusations,” could see Israeli forces named as perpetrators in the UN’s next report on sexual violence in conflict.
In a letter to Danon, Guterres expressed grave concern over reported abuses in several prisons, a detention center, and a military base. He urged Israel to immediately halt all acts of sexual violence, conduct independent investigations, enforce clear military codes prohibiting such acts, and grant UN monitors unrestricted access.
“Due to significant concerns of patterns of certain forms of sexual violence that have been consistently documented, Israeli forces are being put on notice,” Guterres stated. He emphasized the need for specific, time-bound commitments to address the violations.
Israel has denied UN monitors access, making it challenging to establish definitive patterns or trends. Danon, however, rejected the claims, accusing the UN of bias and urging it to focus instead on what he described as “the shocking war crimes and sexual violence of Hamas” and the release of hostages.
The allegations come amid the ongoing Gaza war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. Israel claims that Hamas fighters committed sexual violence during the attack. In retaliation, Israel’s military offensive has killed over 61,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says about half of the dead are women and children.
UN-backed human rights experts in March accused Israel of “systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence” against Palestinians, including rape in detention. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously denounced the UN Human Rights Council as “antisemitic” and “terrorist-supporting,” without addressing the specific findings.
The UN chief’s warning underscores growing international scrutiny of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied territories, raising the possibility of further diplomatic and legal consequences if the allegations are substantiated.
