Global
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations announced, Thursday, the freezing of Israel's relations with UN Secretary General António Guterres, condemning a not-yet-officially-announced decision to place Israel on a list related to sexual violence in conflicts.
Danny Danon said in a video message published on the platform "X" that they are done with this Secretary General, while the Israeli mission clarified that this decision means a freeze of its relations with the Secretary General's office until the end of Guterres' term on December 31, 2026.
The ambassador affirmed that the decision to place Israel on the list and accuse it of using sexual violence as a weapon of war constitutes a scandal, accusing the Secretary General of equating Hamas with Israel.
Danon referred to the Secretary General's report on conflict-related sexual violence that has not yet been published, as it is still being presented to the concerned states, noting that last August's annual report warned of the possible addition of Israel to the list of parties suspected of sexual violence in armed conflicts.
The United Nations cited credible reports of sexual violence committed by Israeli security forces against Palestinian detainees in prisons and other detention centers, highlighting the prevention of UN inspectors from accessing them, while Danon affirmed they invited UN representatives to Israel to investigate these allegations but they chose not to attend.
