Israel has officially barred UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz declaring him persona non grata. Katz justified the ban by stating that Guterres did not “unequivocally condemn” Iran following its missile attack on Israel and has not labeled Hamas a “terrorist organization.”
The announcement comes in the wake of Iran firing approximately 180 missiles at Israel, a response to the recent assassinations of key figures, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Israel described the missile attack as a “severe, dangerous escalation” and vowed to respond at a time of its choosing.
Tensions in the region have heightened due to Israel’s prolonged offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 41,600 casualties, predominantly women and children, since last October’s Hamas attack. The conflict has also extended to Lebanon, with Israeli strikes resulting in over 1,000 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries since September 23.
In recent months, several UN officials have been banned from entering Israel, including UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinians Francesca Albanese, who was accused of bias towards the Palestinians. The Israeli government has also criticized the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, questioning its credibility.
