Last Updated: October 26, 2023, 06:40 IST
New York, United States of America (USA)
In remarks that particularly outraged Israel, UN chief mentioned it was necessary to acknowledge the assaults by Hamas didn’t occur in a vacuum because the Palestinians have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. (Reuters/File Photo)
Israel-Hamas War: UN chief on Tuesday once more denounced “the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday rejected the “misrepresentations” of his remarks a day earlier on Palestinian grievances that infuriated Israel, which has vowed to retaliate towards the world physique. “I am shocked by misrepresentations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council — as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas,” Guterres instructed reporters, with out naming Israel.
Addressing a Security Council session on Tuesday, the UN chief, once more with out naming Israel, denounced “the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.” In remarks that particularly outraged Israel, he mentioned it was necessary to “recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum” because the Palestinians have been “subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”
Guterres mentioned Wednesday it was “necessary to set the record straight, especially out of respect for the victims and their families.” “I spoke of the grievances of the Palestinian folks. And in doing so, I additionally clearly acknowledged, and I quote: ‘But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas.’”
Israel’s outspoken ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, rejected the reason and referred to as on Guterres to resign. He mentioned that Israel would not “automatically” problem visas to UN officers who need to go to and accused different officers from the world physique of having “spread lies” on the state of affairs. “It is a disgrace to the UN that the secretary-general does not retract his words and is not even able to apologize for what he said yesterday,” Erdan mentioned in an announcement.
Denouncing the unique remarks on the “vacuum,” Erdan mentioned, “Every person understands very well that the meaning of his words is that Israel has guilt for the actions of Hamas or, at the very least, it shows his understanding for the ‘background’ leading up to the massacre.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Tuesday canceled a gathering with Guterres and angrily pointed his finger at him in the course of the session, studying graphic accounts of civilians killed within the October 7 assault by Hamas.
Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour got here to the protection of Guterres, saying the assaults towards the previous Portuguese prime minister had been “ridiculous” and noting that the UN chief personally went to the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
“Maybe today, he is the most popular man under the sun in all corners of the globe,” Mansour instructed reporters. “We want such decisive leaders — that he does not waver when it comes for standing for justice,” mentioned Mansour, half of the Palestinian Authority which is run by Hamas rivals.
Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, and killed no less than 1,400 folks, largely civilians who had been shot, mutilated or burned to dying on the primary day of the raid, in line with Israeli officers.
More than 6,500 Palestinians, primarily civilians, have been killed throughout Gaza in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the assaults by the Palestinian Islamist militant group, in line with the Hamas-run well being ministry in Gaza.
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – AFP)
