United Nations, New York – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has formally warned Israel that the UN possesses “credible information” of sexual violence and other violations committed by Israeli forces against detained Palestinians. This grave concern was conveyed in a letter from Guterres to Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon.
In his annual report to the UN Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence, Guterres stated he was “gravely concerned” about documented patterns of sexual violence by Israeli military and security forces in various prisons, a detention center, and a military base. Cases documented by the UN reportedly include genital violence, prolonged forced nudity, and repeated abusive strip searches. Guterres put Israel “on notice” that it could be listed in his next report on sexual violence in conflict due to these consistent findings. He urged Israel to cease such acts, investigate credible allegations, and grant unimpeded access to UN monitors.
Guterres acknowledged that Israel’s refusal to grant UN monitors access has made it “challenging to make a definitive determination” about patterns and systematic use of sexual violence by its forces. In March, UN-backed human rights experts had also accused Israel of the “systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence” against Palestinians. ATP
