Israel foreign minister has accused United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of endorsing the Palestinian terror group Hamas and has called for Guterres’ resignation.
The foreign minister, Eli Cohen, asserts that Guterres’ plea for an immediate ceasefire in the two-month war between Israel and Hamas, following the latter’s October 7 attacks in southern Israel, amounts to support for the terrorist organization. Cohen condemns the UN chief’s stance, describing it as an approval of heinous acts, including the murder of the elderly, abduction of babies, and rape of women, all perpetrated by Hamas during its assault. The October 7 attack involved thousands of Hamas terrorists crossing into southern Israel, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 people, with over 240 hostages, including women and children, being taken amid rocket attacks on Israeli towns and cities. The majority of casualties were civilians, and the terrorists carried out brutal acts, including executions of entire families and massacres at public events. In response, Cohen deems Guterres’ tenure as a threat to world peace and calls for his resignation. Israel foreign minister
Graphic accounts from survivors of the attack and those who prepared bodies for burial detail acts of horrific sexual violence, gang rape, and mutilation carried out against women and girls by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7. An ongoing police investigation has been exploring evidence of post-mortem mutilation.
Guterres has consistently advocated for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict. On Wednesday, he employed Article 99 of the UN Charter by writing to the 15-member Security Council, marking the first instance of its use since he assumed leadership of the 193-member world body in 2017. This move also represents the first utilization of Article 99 by any secretary-general since 1989. Article 99 grants the secretary-general the authority to alert the Security Council to any issue he deems a threat to international peace and security.