In a recent turn of events, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, has called for the resignation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. This comes in the wake of Guterres's speech advocating for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Ambassador Erdan took to social media to express his strong disapproval of Guterres's stance, stating, "The UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN." He further added, "I call on him to resign immediately."
Guterres's speech at the United Nations condemned both Hamas and Israel for actions that endanger civilians. He expressed deep concern about the "clear violations of international humanitarian law" in the conflict. Addressing the issue of civilian protection, Guterres remarked, "The protection of civilians is paramount in any armed conflict. Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields," referring directly to Hamas. He also criticized the Israeli military's actions, stating, "Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than 1 million people to evacuate to the south [of Gaza] where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel and then continuing to bomb the south itself."
Erdan, however, viewed Guterres's speech as being "disconnected from reality." He expressed his shock and dismay, saying, "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."
The Secretary-General has been a vocal advocate for humanitarian aid in Gaza, a region that is currently facing severe shortages of essential supplies like food, water, medical supplies, and fuel. The first humanitarian aid convoys entered Gaza recently, but Guterres warned of potential disruptions if Israel continues its ban on fuel imports, given the dwindling reserves of the U.N.
The conflict has resulted in significant casualties. According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, over 5,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, including more than 2,000 children. The conflict has also claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Israelis, with a significant number of casualties resulting from a surprise attack by Hamas at the beginning of the conflict.
In response to the escalating situation and Guterres's speech, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced his decision to cancel upcoming meetings with the UN chief. Cohen expressed his firm stance on the matter, stating, "I will not meet with the UN Secretary General. After October 7th there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased from the world!"
Unfortunately, I couldn't retrieve content from the second link provided. However, based on the information available, it's evident that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and the international community's response to it remains a highly sensitive and contentious issue.
