Picture: for illustration purposes
Amid an ongoing spat with the United Nations (UN), Israel announced it will refuse to issue visas to UN officials. Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, made the contentious statement on Wednesday, following UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's indirect critique of Israel at the Security Council the day before. Israel's move further escalates tensions between the country and the international body.
Guterres criticized Israel for ordering the evacuation of civilians from Northern to Southern Gaza strip during his Security Council speech. He maintained that the Israeli raid on October 7 did not occur "in a vacuum," hinting that the 56-long years of Palestinian occupation played a significant role.
The UN Secretary-General's opinion, perceived as balanced by many countries, infuriated Israel, prompting its officials to call for his resignation. Gilad Erdan, expressing his discontent, stated on Army Radio, "Due to his [Guterres's] remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives." Erdan also revealed that they had already denied a visa application from the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths.
In the aftermath of the announcement, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs denounced Israel's call for the UN secretary-general to resign as an "unprovoked attack." The Palestinian ministry saw Israel's position as a disregard for the UN, its charter, and resolutions concerning Palestine.
Despite the escalating tension between Israel and the UN, Guterres continues rallying for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Israel, backed by the U.S., has rebuffed these appeals, maintaining it would only enable Hamas to regroup. Simultaneously, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned that it might cease operations due to the fuel shortage.