Israel on Thursday announced that it would cut ties with the office of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, escalating its confrontation with the world body after Israeli entities were included in an annex linked to the UN’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence.
The move marks the latest flashpoint in the already strained relationship between Israel and the United Nations, with Israeli officials accusing the organisation of unfairly targeting the country amid continuing scrutiny over allegations linked to the Gaza conflict and the treatment of Palestinian detainees.
In a strongly worded statement posted on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry denounced the decision as politically motivated and claimed it was aimed at drawing what it described as a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
Calling the move “shameful and absurd”, the ministry said the inclusion of Israeli entities in the annex reflected what it termed the UN’s “institutionalised hostility” towards Israel.
“The shameful and absurd UN decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV report is further proof of the UN’s true nature: a politicised and corrupt organisation that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission,” the ministry said.
Why has Israel objected to the UN report?
According to Israel, the decision is part of a broader pattern of bias against the country within the UN system.
The Foreign Ministry argued that the report was designed to create a “fake symmetry” between Israel and the sexual violence committed during the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
It further asserted that Israel had “comprehensively, thoroughly, and unequivocally refuted” the allegations cited in the report.
Israel targets Antonio Guterres
The Israeli government also directed sharp criticism at UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres personally, accusing him of promoting allegations that it said lacked a factual basis.
“The person behind this farce is Antonio Guterres,” the ministry said, alleging that the UN chief had previously attempted to “contextualise” the October 7 attacks and had failed to adequately address allegations concerning UN employees.
The ministry further accused Guterres of using his remaining time in office to advance accusations against Israel that it said were unsupported by evidence.
Following the report’s circulation, Israel said it would suspend engagement with the Secretary-General’s office until a new UN chief takes office.
Danny Danon calls decision ‘outrageous’
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also criticised the development, saying Israeli entities were set to be added to a UN list of parties suspected of, or responsible for, conflict-related sexual violence.
“The decision to blacklist Israel and accuse us of using sexual violence as a weapon of war is an outrageous decision,” Danon wrote on X.
“We are done with this secretary-general,” he added.
The UN Secretary-General’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence is typically shared with concerned states before its official release, according to France 24.
In last year’s edition, released in August, the UN had indicated that Israel could eventually be added to the list, alongside Hamas. The organisation cited what it described as “credible information” regarding alleged sexual violence by Israeli security personnel against Palestinian detainees in prisons and detention facilities.
The report also noted that UN investigators had allegedly been denied access to some detention centres, France 24 reported.
Palestinians have for years alleged incidents of physical and sexual abuse involving detainees held in Israeli custody, allegations that Israel has repeatedly disputed.