UN expert says adding Israel to sexual violence blacklist is ‘long overdue’

Reem Alsalem, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, says the decision to add Israel to a UN blacklist of countries accused of committing sexual violence is “long overdue”.

“This listing could not have come soon enough,” Alsalem wrote on X.

“I had in the past expressed my disappointment that Israel was not listed already, given the systematic, large-scale and horrific sexual violence perpetrated by Israel against Palestinian women, men and children that have been independently documented and verified,” she added.

Earlier, Israel’s UN envoy said the country was cutting all contact with UN chief Antonio Guterres over the decision.

Multiple human rights groups have documented widespread and systematic sexual violence against Palestinians, including detainees held by Israel during its genocide in Gaza.