The Israeli authorities have demanded the resignation of the United Nations’ (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres for saying that the Hamas’ attacks on Israel cannot justify the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
UK-based Daily Mail reports that in a major diplomatic row, Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, said Guterres was “not fit” to lead the UN after he claimed the 1400 murders in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war “did not happen in a vacuum”.
Speaking in a high-level meeting of the UN 15-member Security Council ahead of an expected ground invasion of Gaza, Guterres had said that “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.
“But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Reacting to the UN boss, the Israeli ambassador, Erdan said Guterres’ speech was “shocking” and that Guterres was “completely disconnected from the reality in our region.”
Erdan further stated that “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 terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people.”
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It was further reported that earlier, Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen said he would no longer meet with Guterres and criticised his call for a ceasefire at the UN security council in New York on Tuesday.
Cohen said, “Mr Secretary General, in what world do you live? Definitely this is not our world,” as he held up photos of children kidnapped by Hamas, and said, “how can you agree to a ceasefire when someone swore to kill and destroy your existence.”
