Israel freezes ties with UN chief Guterres after inclusion on conflict-related sexual violence blacklist
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, announced the suspension of relations with UN Secretary-General António Guterres after Israel was added to a UN blacklist of parties accused of committing sexual violence in conflict zones.
In a post on X on Thursday, Danon described the UN decision as “political decision! Disconnected from the facts and reality!”, and announced a halt to cooperation with Guterres, saying: “Israel has decided to sever all ties with the Secretary-General’s Office.”
He added that Israel would work to “correct this mistake” once a new UN secretary-general is elected in the coming months. “Israel will wait until a new UN Secretary-General is appointed,” he said.
Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that Israel was added to the blacklist despite continued Israeli efforts in recent months to prevent the move.
The UN decision comes amid growing international human rights reports documenting alleged sexual abuse and violations against Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention centres, particularly at the Sde Teiman detention facility and other prisons.
Palestinian and international reports and testimonies have also documented cases of harassment and sexual assault during Israeli raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, affecting both women and men.
