UN Adds Israel and Russia to Annual Blacklist of Parties Linked to Conflict Sexual Violence

The United Nations on 29 May 2026 added Israel and Russia to its annual blacklist of parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of conflict-related sexual violence. The listing forms part of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's annual report to the UN Security Council and follows last year's 'on notice' warning to both countries.

The report contains documented descriptions of abuses attributed to Israeli and Russian armed and security forces in their respective theatres of conflict. Hamas, whose attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 triggered the war in Gaza, was already on the list. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon described being placed alongside Hamas as a 'new low' and called the move 'a political decision disconnected from the facts'. The Israeli foreign ministry said it would sever all ties with the UN Secretary-General over the listing.

Inclusion in the blacklist does not, by itself, trigger sanctions or other punitive UN measures. However, it carries reputational weight and forms the evidentiary base for UN Security Council resolutions, special procedures, and country-specific monitoring missions. The list is updated yearly based on country reports, field investigations and evidence submitted by humanitarian agencies.

India is not on the list. New Delhi has supported the UN's broader framework on conflict-related sexual violence and is a long-standing contributor to UN peacekeeping. The annual report is debated in the UN Security Council under the Women, Peace and Security agenda — established by Resolution 1325 in 2000 — which India has supported in successive interventions during its Security Council terms.