Israel will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives after statements by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which, according to the Israeli side, may justify the Hamas group's attack on Israel. This was stated by Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, according to The Times of Israel.
"After his statements, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already denied a visa to UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. It's time to teach them a lesson," Guterres said.
As a reminder, speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Guterres said that Hamas' attack on Israel "did not happen in a vacuum" and that the Palestinian people had been subjected to a "suffocating occupation" for 56 years. In response to these words, Erdan said that the UN Secretary-General was "out of touch with reality" and that his statement was a justification for terror. He also called on Guterres to resign.
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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was not trying to justify Hamas' invasion of Israel. But he also condemns Israel for its massive air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
"The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks of Hamas. These horrific attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he wrote on his Twitter account.
The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 25, 2023
Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
