Israel says it will cut contact with UN chief after sexual violence report move

Israel has said it will break contact with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after being told that an upcoming conflict-related sexual violence report will add Israeli entities to an annex of suspected parties. The move was confirmed by Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, who described the decision as outrageous. The report is expected to list entities believed to be responsible for, or suspected of, sexual violence in conflict zones.

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Danon said in a video posted online that Israel was "done" with Guterres and accused the UN chief of blacklisting the country over allegations that sexual violence had been used as a weapon of war. The Israeli mission to the UN later said it would have no contact with the secretary-general's office while Guterres remains in post. The annual report is normally shared with relevant states before publication, and Israel said it had already been warned last August that it could be added to the list.

The decision follows last year's UN report, which said it had received credible information about sexual violence carried out by security forces in Israeli detention centres. The latest report is also expected to include Hamas in the annex of suspected parties. The UN has previously said its inspectors were denied access to the facilities where the alleged abuse took place, and Palestinians have long reported physical and sexual violence in Israeli detention centres.

The issue matters because the UN list is used to identify parties suspected of conflict-related sexual violence and can carry diplomatic and reputational consequences. For Israel, inclusion in the annex would deepen an already fraught dispute with UN institutions over the conduct of the war and the treatment of detainees. For the UN, the report is part of a wider effort to document sexual violence in conflict and press states and armed groups to respond to allegations.

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The dispute also comes against the backdrop of earlier allegations and investigations. In early May, a New York Times investigation said it had spoken with 14 Palestinian men and women who alleged they had been sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces. The current row therefore sits within a broader and continuing debate over detention conditions, accountability and access for investigators.

Israel has rejected the allegations and says the UN leadership is spreading lies against it. What remains unclear is the final wording of the report and whether the annex will name specific Israeli entities or describe them more broadly. It is also not clear how far Israel's decision to sever contact with Guterres' office will be carried through in practice.

The report's publication, and any formal response from the UN, will be the next key developments to watch.

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