UN Chief Refutes Claims of Justifying Hamas Attacks, Israel Threatens Visa Restrictions

News Desk

United Nations: Although nothing could justify the attacks by Hamas on October 7 which triggered the siege and bombardment of Gaza, it is important to recognise that they “did not happen in a vacuum” and did not justify the collective punishment of Palestinians, said UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres.

While addressing Tuesday’s debate in the Security Council (SC) on the worsening crisis in Israel and Palestine, the UN chief has firmly rebuked what he described as the “false” claim by top Israeli diplomats that he had sought to justify the October 7 attacks by Hamas in a speech he delivered to the SC on Tuesday.

Guterres said he was “shocked by the misrepresentation of some of my statements”.

Following the SG speech, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan tweeted that, in effect, Guterres’s speech had sought to justify Hamas assault, which left some 1,400 dead.

He demanded that the UN chief resign and later said that Israel would now withhold visas from UN officials.

Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also accused Guterres of justifying Hamas attacks and cancelled a planned bilateral meeting with the UN chief on Tuesday.

The @UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN.

I call on him to resign immediately.

There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most…

— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) October 24, 2023

Later on Tuesday, Antonio met some of the families of those taken hostage by Hamas fighters and reaffirmed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those being held in violation of international law inside Gaza.

Acknowledging that he had indeed spoken of Palestinian grievances, Chief Guterres stressed that he had also said in the Council that “the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas.”

Without referring to Israeli diplomats specifically, the UN chief added that it was “necessary to set the record straight—especially out of respect for the victims and their families.”