Israel has officially barred United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres from entering the country, thereby accusing him of failing to strongly condemn missile attacks from Iran.
The particular decision was announced following a significant escalation in the Middle East conflict, with over 180 ballistic missiles launched by Iran at Israel on Tuesday night.
This is in response to Israel’s intensified confrontation with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group.
On Wednesday morning, October 2, Guterres released a short statement addressing the ongoing violence in the Middle East, calling for an end to “escalation after escalation.”
However, Israel’s foreign affairs minister, Israel Katz, felt this response was totally inadequate.
To that effect, in a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), Katz declared that Guterres had been made persona non grata, stating, “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel… does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil.”
Additionally, Katz further criticized Guterres for failing to denounce the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, which involved widespread violence and atrocities.
Meanwhile, he also pointed out that Guterres had not led any efforts to formally declare Hamas a terrorist organization, adding that the UN secretary-general’s stance had effectively provided cover for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, which he labeled as “the mothership of global terror.”
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This diplomatic rift between Israel and the UN comes at a time of heightened tension in the region. Following Iran’s missile attacks, Israel sent additional troops into southern Lebanon to confront Hezbollah forces.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning, declaring that “Iran made a big mistake… and it will pay for it.”
In a further sign of escalation, reports suggest that Israel is preparing to target strategic Iranian assets, including oil production facilities.
As the conflict intensifies, the international community watches closely, but the fallout from this ban on the UN secretary-general could reshape diplomatic relations in the region.