Israel is calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign and says it won't grant visas to UN representatives in the wake of what it calls "shocking" comments made by Guterres. In a Tuesday speech before the UN Security Council, Guterres "condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October acts of terror by Hamas." But he went on to emphasize:
- "The attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing. ... I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza."
The Guardian reports Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, responded Wednesday, saying, "Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson." On X, Erdan called for Guterres' resignation, writing in part, "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." The Times of Israel adds former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted, "Dark are the days when the United Nations Secretary General condones terror."
The Guardian gives some background, pointing out there is "a long-running Israeli belief that UN agencies, especially the UN human rights council, has an anti-Israeli agenda." Politico reports Portugal voiced its support for Guterres—who is Portuguese—on Wednesday. Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho said, "We fully understand and follow the position of Antonio Guterres, who was unequivocal when he condemned Hamas terrorism. There is no way to say that Antonio Guterres is in any way excusing terrorism."
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As for Israel's newly announced UN visa ban, it's unclear if it will be all-encompassing and apply to UN workers with UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The BBC reports UNRWA has said that unless fuel deliveries are permitted, it won't be able to support the 600,000 people sheltering in its facilities after Wednesday. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
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