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Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has officially announced that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will not be permitted to enter Israel, a decision that reflects the increasing strain in relations between Israel and the UN.
The news was conveyed via Katz’s official account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, reflecting a notable development in the context.
This decision comes in response to what Katz characterized as Guterres’ failure to publicly condemn Iran’s missile strike against Israel, highlighting the tensions surrounding the situation.
It has been reported that the attack was launched in retaliation for the deaths of several influential figures, including Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader; Ismail Haniyeh, the political head of Hamas; and Abbas Nilforoushan, a high-ranking commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Katz declared: “Today, I have decided to declare UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata in Israel and to ban his entry. Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel, as nearly every other country has, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil.”
Read also: Iran Remarks: UN Chief Labeled ‘Persona Non Grata’ By Israel
He additionally rebuked Guterres for his lack of condemnation regarding the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, which included severe acts of violence and sexual assaults, and for failing to promote actions to officially categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization.
“A Secretary-General who offers support to the terrorists, rapists, and murderers of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now the global terrorist sponsor, Iran, will be remembered as a stain on the history of the United Nations,” Katz added.
“Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national honor—with or without Antonio Guterres.”
Full statement: “I decided today to declare UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres an undesirable personality in Israel and to ban his entry into Israel.
“Anyone who is unable to unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel, as almost all the countries of the world have done, does not deserve to set foot on Israel’s soil.
