The United Nations has officially placed the Israeli Prison Service on its 2026 list of entities accused of sexual violence during conflict. This decision follows the previous inclusion of Hamas in the same catalogue of perpetrators.

The 2026 blacklist inclusion of the Israeli Prison Service

The United Nations has officially placed the Israeli Prison Service on its list of entities accused of committing sexual violence in conflict zones. According to the report, this addition to the 2026 catalogue follows a period of intense scrutiny regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees. The move marks a significant escalation in the UN's documentation of alleged abuses within the region.

This development is part of a broader, highly contentious pattern of documenting human rights violations during active warfare. as the conflict in Gaza continues, the UN's reporting has become a central battlefield for international legitimacy. The inclusion of a state entity alongside non-state actors has fundamentally shifted the diplomatic landscape.

Danny Danon’s condemnation of the Hamas and ISIS comparison

Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon has slammed the decision, arguing that the UN is equating a state institution with terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS. danon characterized the move as a "political decision" that is "disconnected from the facts and reality." He argued that the UN has failed to engage with the evidence provided by Israeli authorities .

The comparison to Hamas is particularly sensitive, as the UN previously included Hamas in the catalogue following the October 7, 2023, attacks. During those attacks, Israeli authorities reported widespread sexual violence and abuse perpetrated by Palestinian militants. This dual inclusion has created a situation where both sides of the conflict are being accused of similar atrocities by the same international body.

Antonio Guterres’s August warning to Israeli security forces

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had previously signaled that Israel could face such consequences. As the report notes, Guterres placed Israel on notice last August, expressing grave concerns about documented patterns of sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli security forces in various prisons.

The UN's decision follows months of monitoring and warnings regarding these specific allegations.. while the Israeli government has consistently denied these claims, the Secretary General's office maintained that there were reasonable grounds to believe such violations were occurring. This long-term buildup of tension highlights the difficulty of maintaining neutral oversight in active war zones.

The dispute over UN field inspections and unverified claims

A major point of contention remains the validity of the evidence used to justify the blacklisting. Danny Danon claimed that Israel invited UN representatives to visit the field and examine conditions firsthand, but alleges that these representatives chose not to do so. This raises questions about whether the UN's findings are based on direct observation or secondary testimonies.

Furthermore, there are significant unanswered questions regarding the specific nature of the evidence presented by human rights groups. While the report mentions that human rights organizations and Palestinians have sahred testimonies of sexual violence and torture in Israeli prisons, the exact corroboration of these claims by UN investigators remains a subject of intense debate. It is also unclear how much international pressure influenced the decision to include Israeli entities following the inclusion of Hamas.