Israel announced that it is suspending all contact with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after reports that Israel would be included on a UN blacklist related to sexual violence in conflict zones. Israeli officials strongly condemned the expected decision, calling it politically motivated and accusing the United Nations leadership of unfairly targeting Israel during the ongoing regional conflict and diplomatic tensions.
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Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon stated that Israel would no longer engage with Guterres or his office while he remains secretary-general of the organisation. Danon described the reported inclusion of Israel on the blacklist as outrageous and unacceptable, arguing that placing Israel alongside Hamas on such a list ignored the realities of the conflict and damaged the credibility of the United Nations system.
Meanwhile, Israel’s foreign ministry also criticised the reported decision and accused the United Nations of abandoning its founding principles through what officials described as systematic bias against Israel. Foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said the move demonstrated increasing politicisation within the organisation, while Israeli authorities continued rejecting allegations that Israeli forces used sexual violence as a weapon during the conflict.
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The controversy emerged ahead of the publication of the UN secretary-general’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence, which is traditionally shared with concerned countries before its official release. Last year’s report warned that Israel could potentially be added to the blacklist after the United Nations cited what it described as credible information regarding alleged abuse against Palestinians in prisons and detention centres.
At the same time, Hamas already appears on the UN list because of allegations linked to sexual violence during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the treatment of hostages. Israeli officials argued that they had invited UN representatives to inspect detention facilities and investigate the allegations directly, but claimed that the organisation chose not to carry out the proposed visit or independent review.
Relations between Israel and the United Nations have continued deteriorating since the Gaza war began following the Hamas attack in 2023, creating one of the deepest diplomatic disputes in recent years. Israel has repeatedly criticised Antonio Guterres and other UN officials over their comments regarding military operations in Gaza, while also accusing employees of the UNRWA agency of involvement in the October 7 attack.