UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accused Israel of breaching international law in its response to the actions of the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip. He has called for an immediate ceasefire, even as Hamas remains in control after a conflict that resulted in the tragic loss of 1,400 innoncents.
Speaking during a Security Council meeting on the Gaza conflict, Guterres expressed his deep concerns about what he said are violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. He emphasized that no party involved in an armed conflict should be exempt from adhering to international humanitarian law.
“I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law,” Guterres said during a Security Council meeting on the Gaza conflict.
“I have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented 7 October act of terror by Hamas in Israel,” he continued. “Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring, and kidnapping of civilians, or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. All hostages must be treated humanely and released immediately and without conditions.”
However, he stated that “it is important to also recognize the attack by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their lands steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence, their economies stifled, their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”
Guterres highlighted the entry of humanitarian aid convoys from Egypt into Gaza through the Rafah Crossing, though he stressed that this assistance only scratches the surface of the immense need. He also expressed concerns about the UN’s dwindling fuel supplies in Gaza.
“To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer, and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” he said.
In response to Guterres’ speech, Israel voiced its condemnation. Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, argued that the Secretary-General’s remarks demonstrated a lack of understanding of the region’s realities. He criticized Guterres for a skewed perspective on the actions of Hamas. “The shocking speech by the UN Secretary-General at the Security Council meeting, while rockets are being fired at all of Israel, proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the Secretary-General is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner. His statement that, ‘the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,’ expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder. It’s really unfathomabale. It’s truly sad that the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views. A tragedy!”
Israeli Minister Benny Gantz further criticized Guterres, asserting that any support for terrorism is unacceptable. He emphasized that those who justify acts of terrorism are unfit to represent the international community. “The days when the UN Secretary-General supports terrorism are dark days for the world. There is no way to justify a massacre of innocent civilians. Anyone who is not on the right side of history will be judged by it. Anyone who justifies terrorism is not fit to speak for the world.”
Source: {Matzav.com}