‘On notice’: UN warns Israel, Russia over sexual violence in conflict zones
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘On notice’: UN warns Israel, Russia over sexual violence in conflict zones")
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin Photograph: (AFP)
Israel and Russia have been put “on notice” by the United Nations over alleged sexual violence in conflict zones as war rages in Gaza and Ukraine.
As the wars in Gaza and Ukraine continue, the United Nations has put Israel and Russia “on notice” over alleged sexual violence committed by their armed forces in the conflict zones. According to the annual UN Security Council report on conflict-related sexual violence, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the two nations of being put on the blacklist of nations that have been “credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence”.
The UN warning comes after the intergovernmental organisation documented “patterns of certain forms of sexual violence”. According to the report, Hamas has already been blacklisted over sexual violence and rape incidents during the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel. However, the Palestinian militant group has denied the claims, dismissing the report as an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Allegations against Israel
Guterres said that he was “gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Israeli armed and security forces” against Palestinians in several prisons, a detention centre and a military base.
“Cases documented by the United Nations indicate patterns of sexual violence such as genital violence, prolonged forced nudity and repeated strip searches conducted in an abusive and degrading manner,” he said in the report.
While Israeli authorities have discussed the issue with the special envoy, the UN chief claimed “limited information” was provided to the UN on accountability measures undertaken in connection with alleged incidents of sexual violence, despite “witness testimony and digital evidence of Israeli soldiers committing such violations.”
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Rejecting the claims as baseless accusations, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said that the allegations made by the UN were “unfounded” and based on “biased publications.”
“The UN must focus on the shocking war crimes and sexual violence of Hamas and the release of all hostages. Israel will not shy away from protecting its citizens and will continue to act in accordance with international law,” he said.
Allegations against Russia
Expressing concerns over sexual violence committed by Russian forces, Guterres said that he was “gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Russian armed and security forces and affiliated armed groups” against Ukrainian prisoners of war, who are held in 50 official and 22 unofficial detention facilities in Ukraine and Russia.
“These cases comprised a significant number of documented incidents of genital violence, including electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information,” he said.
