UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today rejected “misinterpretations” of his statement the day before about the Palestinian troubles that angered Israel, writes “Daily Mail“.
“I am shocked by the misinterpretation of parts of my statement yesterday in the UN Security Council, as if I justified the terrorist attacks by Hamas,” Guterres told reporters.
Addressing the Security Council yesterday, Guterres condemned the “violation of international humanitarian law that is clearly visible in Gaza”.
What particularly angered Israel was his statement that “it is important to recognize that the attacks by Hamas did not occur in a vacuum, as Palestinians have been suffocating under occupation for 56 years.”
Guterres stressed today that it is necessary to clear things up, especially out of respect for the victims and their families.
“I spoke about the plight of the Palestinian people and I made it clear that the plight of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas,” he said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen canceled a meeting with Guterres and angrily pointed the finger at him during yesterday’s session detailing the suffering of civilians killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to step down.
He wrote on the “X” platform that Guterres “expressed understanding for terrorism and murder.”