RAMALLAH / Qais Abu Samra / Anadolu

Palestine demanded that the UN Security Council hold Israel accountable for crimes and violations of a sexual nature committed against Palestinians, provide protection for victims and survivors, and ensure the access of competent international mechanisms to the occupied Palestinian territories.

This came during a speech delivered by the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, on Wednesday, at a Security Council session on 'Conflict-Related Sexual Violence,' in light of the 2026 report of the UN Secretary-General.

The United Nations had, for the first time, included the Israeli army in its annual list of perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence, in the 2026 report of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, issued on May 29 last.

The report stated that the United Nations verified 31 cases of sexual violence committed by Israeli forces and security agencies against Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including rape, gang rape, forced nudity, and threats of rape.

Mansour said in the speech, published by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, that 'the Secretary-General's report documented cases proving that Israeli occupation forces committed violations of a sexual nature against Palestinians, including patterns of sexual torture and treatment degrading to human dignity.'

He stressed that the verified cases represent 'a limited part' of the true scale of violations.

Mansour welcomed the inclusion of 'Israeli occupation forces on the black list of perpetrators of serious violations,' considering it 'a first step towards achieving justice for Palestinian victims and holding Israeli officials accountable for these crimes,' amid what he described as a lack of accountability.

He referred to the rape incident of a Palestinian detainee in Sde Teiman prison, considering that the dropping of charges against those involved, despite verification of the incident and the availability of evidence and medical reports, reflects the continued impunity.

The Palestinian envoy said that 'Israel does not hesitate to use sexual violence as a means of war in the Gaza Strip and a means of displacement and intimidation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,' stressing that what the report documented represents only a small part of the scale of violations.

He demanded that the Security Council ensure unhindered access for UN bodies and competent international mechanisms to all occupied Palestinian territories, allowing independent monitoring and verification.

Mansour also called for immediate protection for Palestinians, the release of prisoners and detainees, including women and children, and ensuring that survivors receive medical, psychological, and social care, as well as justice services and reparations.

He affirmed that international law imposes clear obligations to protect human dignity and prevent torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, stressing that any violation that is proven to have occurred must be met with accountability, regardless of the identity of the perpetrator or victim.

He stressed that protecting Palestinian civilians, preserving their human dignity, and ensuring accountability for perpetrators of crimes against them are not merely legal obligations but a moral responsibility incumbent upon the Security Council and the entire international community.

Last January, the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem published a report documenting violations inside Israeli prisons, based on testimonies of released Palestinian detainees who spoke of being subjected to various forms of violence, including sexual violence.

The report included testimonies about forced stripping, violent beating of genitals, use of dogs against detainees, in addition to sexual assaults using various instruments, as stated in the report.

About 9,500 Palestinian prisoners, including children and women, are held in Israeli prisons, suffering harsh conditions including starvation, torture, and medical neglect, which has led to the deaths of dozens of them, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights reports.