In a statement yesterday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “I am deeply alarmed by the intensification of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. This includes the expansion of ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces accompanied by intense air strikes, and the continued rocket fire towards Israel from Gaza.”
Although Guterres did not repeat his outrageous statement that “the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” here too, as in previous remarks, he made do with a weak condemnation “of the acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October,” without referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization; without mentioning the atrocities committed against Israeli civilians; and without expressing shock and disgust at the evil and brutality of the Hamas attack. In the statement, however, Guterres condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza, and expressed his dismay at “reports that two-thirds of those who have been killed are women and children.” Yet he made no reference to how many women and children are among the hostages in Gaza, nor did he mention the overall number of those kidnapped.
In addition, Guterres lamented “the humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza, with “the level of humanitarian assistance that has been allowed into Gaza up to this point…completely inadequate and not commensurate with the needs of people in Gaza.” However, he made no mention of Hamas’s responsibility for and contribution to the humanitarian tragedy; he did not mention the use by Hamas of the humanitarian assistance that is intended for civilian use only; he did not refer to Hamas’s use of civilians as human shields when it deploys in civilian buildings and prevents civilians from evacuating the battle-strewn areas for the southern portion of the Gaza Strip. The humanitarian tragedy of the Israeli hostages, including elderly people, women, men, and children – some of whom were abducted without their parents – was not mentioned at all in the statement. Despite a call for the immediate release of the hostages, there was no demand that Hamas supply information about the captives and their situation and allow visits by the Red Cross. In this statements, the UN Secretary General has missed an opportunity to be an objective voice that might be able to assist in ending the war, and instead has endorsed message that only tie Israel’s hands in the war on terror.
In a statement yesterday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “I am deeply alarmed by the intensification of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. This includes the expansion of ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces accompanied by intense air strikes, and the continued rocket fire towards Israel from Gaza.”
Although Guterres did not repeat his outrageous statement that “the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” here too, as in previous remarks, he made do with a weak condemnation “of the acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October,” without referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization; without mentioning the atrocities committed against Israeli civilians; and without expressing shock and disgust at the evil and brutality of the Hamas attack. In the statement, however, Guterres condemned the killing of civilians in Gaza, and expressed his dismay at “reports that two-thirds of those who have been killed are women and children.” Yet he made no reference to how many women and children are among the hostages in Gaza, nor did he mention the overall number of those kidnapped.
In addition, Guterres lamented “the humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza, with “the level of humanitarian assistance that has been allowed into Gaza up to this point…completely inadequate and not commensurate with the needs of people in Gaza.” However, he made no mention of Hamas’s responsibility for and contribution to the humanitarian tragedy; he did not mention the use by Hamas of the humanitarian assistance that is intended for civilian use only; he did not refer to Hamas’s use of civilians as human shields when it deploys in civilian buildings and prevents civilians from evacuating the battle-strewn areas for the southern portion of the Gaza Strip. The humanitarian tragedy of the Israeli hostages, including elderly people, women, men, and children – some of whom were abducted without their parents – was not mentioned at all in the statement. Despite a call for the immediate release of the hostages, there was no demand that Hamas supply information about the captives and their situation and allow visits by the Red Cross. In this statements, the UN Secretary General has missed an opportunity to be an objective voice that might be able to assist in ending the war, and instead has endorsed message that only tie Israel’s hands in the war on terror.