by Alessio Cuel –
Very tough clash between the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, and Israel. What triggered the tension were Guterres’ statements at the Glass Palace on 24 October, at the Security Council meeting. According to Guterres, “it is important to recognize that Hamas’ attacks did not come out of nowhere. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.” Guterres then added that “the suffering of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks of Hamas” nor the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people”. The secretary general then continued by highlighting violations of international humanitarian law and underlining the need to seek a “humanitarian ceasefire”.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, reacted with deep indignation to Guterres’ statements and called for his resignation. For Erdan, who entrusted his thoughts to X, Guterres’ speech at the Glass Palace would be shocking and disconnected from reality. According to the ambassador, justifying the mass slaughter of children, women and the elderly would make Guterres unfit to lead the United Nations.
Meanwhile, an Israeli raid in Jenin, during the early hours of Wednesday 25 October, leaves at least 3 dead and 20 injured in the refugee camp in the West Bank.
