Tel aviv: Israel has severed relations with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' office after the country was added to a war zone sexual violence blacklist, Tel Aviv's UN envoy announced. Amb. Danny Danon communicated the decision to end contacts with Guterres' office in a pre-recorded video message, describing Israel's inclusion as "outrageous" and part of a "campaign against Israel."

According to Anadolu Agency, Danon stated that the UN Secretary-General and his team are spreading false claims against Israel, equating them with Hamas terrorists, which he deemed unacceptable. The Israeli diplomatic mission confirmed the termination of ties with Guterres' office on the American social media platform X, where it mentioned that Danon informed the UN chief of the decision, expressing strong disapproval and accusing Guterres of waging a political campaign against Israel.

In reaction to Israel's move, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric mentioned that Guterres' door remains open to Israeli representatives, as it is for the other 192 member states and the two observer states. The report by Guterres on conflict-related sexual violence has not been officially released yet. The credibility of the list of parties suspected of violations is typically included in an annex of the report.

The decision to blacklist Israel followed multiple reports from media and human rights organizations accusing the Israeli military of engaging in sexual violence. An opinion piece in the New York Times by columnist Nicholas Kristof earlier in the month alleged that Palestinian detainees had been subjected to widespread sexual violence by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers, and interrogators.

Kristof reported interviewing 14 Palestinian men and women who described experiences of sexual assaults and abuse during detention or attacks by Israeli forces and settlers. While he noted there was no evidence of Israeli leaders ordering rapes, he argued that the authorities had established a security environment where sexual violence had become a norm, referencing a UN report that described it as one of Israel's 'standard operating procedures.'

The article included testimonies of rape with objects, beatings targeting genitals, threats of sexual violence, and humiliation during imprisonment. Kristof cited reports from organizations such as Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Save the Children, B'Tselem, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which documented allegations of sexual abuse and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees. He also referred to a UN report from last year accusing Israel of systematically subjecting Palestinians to 'sexualized torture.'