UN blacklists Israel, Russia for sexual violence in conflict zones

• The United Nations added Israel and Russia to a list of countries suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones in its latest report on May 29.

• Nearly 10,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were recorded worldwide in 2025 — more than double the previous year’s figure.

• The numbers reflected a deepening global trend, with rising insecurity, displacement and dwindling resources for survivors all fuelling the crisis.

Key points of the report:

• The report verified 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence during 2025.

• The report documents rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, trafficking and abductions committed by both State and non-State actors across 21 conflict-affected countries.

• Women and girls remained the primary targets, although men and boys were also subjected to sexual violence, often in detention settings and as a form of torture. 

• LGBTQI+ individuals also faced heightened risk of targeted persecution and harassment.

• Victims ranged in age from one to 70 years old, according to the report, which also recorded cases involving persons with disabilities.  

• The report noted that non-State armed groups, including organised criminal groups, continued to use sexual violence to exert control over communities and territory, including areas rich in natural resources.

• Displaced and refugee women and girls faced heightened risks, particularly in remote and border areas where support networks had collapsed.

• The widespread availability of small arms also continued to fuel sexual violence across multiple conflicts.  

• At the same time, humanitarian access restrictions, insecurity and funding shortfalls were making it harder to document abuses and assist survivors.

• The report’s annex lists 77 parties deemed responsible for patterns of conflict-related sexual violence, including 62 non-State actors.

• New additions include three non-State armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• Two State actors — Russian armed and security forces, and Israeli armed and security forces — were also newly listed following findings of continued patterns of sexual violence documented by the UN.  

• Russian armed and security forces were blacklisted for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians detained during the war in Ukraine.

• The list for 2025 includes Israel’s armed and security forces as well as Hamas militants, who were previously blacklisted after their attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.