The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a letter to Israel’s representative, warning of the possibility of including “Israel” in the “warning” category of the annual report on sexual violence, following an increasing number of complaints about alleged sexual violence committed by Israeli security personnel against Palestinians and detainees in prisons.

According to the paper, Guterres’ letter expressed deep concern based on credible information about sexual violations occurring in several prisons and detention centers. He stressed that Israel’s refusal to allow UN inspectors access to these sites hinders the organization’s ability to verify patterns and trends, but confirmed that there is evidence documenting such violations.

Guterres called on Israel to take immediate measures, including issuing clear leadership instructions against sexual violence, enforcing strict disciplinary and punitive mechanisms, investigating every credible complaint, holding commanders personally accountable, and granting UN inspectors full access for monitoring and providing humanitarian aid.