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Secretary-General Antonio Guterres came under fire Tuesday after said said at a UN Security Council meeting that the Hamas invasion of southwestern Israel and the massacre of 1,400 Israelis “did not happen in a vacuum.”
By Mindy Rubenstein
Israel announced that it will deny entry to United Nations officials, after the organization’s secretary-general made comments seemingly justifying the Hamas massacres of Israelis earlier this month.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres came under fire Tuesday after said said at a UN Security Council meeting that the Hamas invasion of southwestern Israel and the massacre of 1,400 Israelis “did not happen in a vacuum.”
“The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing,” he said in a Security Council meeting on the war.
While he acknowledged that “nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring, and kidnapping of civilians, or the launching of rockets against civilian targets” he also urged for an immediate ceasefire, leaving Hamas in control of the Gaza.
The comments sparked a fierce backlash, and calls from Israel for Guterres’ resignation.
Hamas terrorists have been firing thousands of rockets at cities across Israel since the October 7th invasion. More than 220 Israeli captives are currently being held hostage in Gaza.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said that in the wake of Guterres’ comments, Israel would no longer grant entry to UN officials.
“Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives,” Erdan told the Israeli military’s Army Radio on Wednesday.
“We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths,” Erdan said. “The time has come to teach them a lesson.”
Erdan has called on Guterres to resign “immediately.”
“The shocking speech by the UN secretary-general at the Security Council meeting,” Erdan said, “proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the secretary-general is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner.”
Guterres took to Twitter/X Wednesday to clarify his comments in the UN, condemning the “horrific” attacks by Hamas, while also condemning “collectively punishment” of Gaza.
“The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas.”
“Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Guterres also denied Wednesday that he had meant to justify the Hamas massacres, saying he was “shocked” by the reaction to his comments. The people of Israel need your help at this most critical time. Please make a donation to help protect and defend Israelis against unprecedented Hamas terror.
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