New York [US], October 26: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday rejected accusations by Israel that, in a statement to the Security Council, he had justified attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.
Guterres on Tuesday pleaded for civilians to be protected in the war between Israel and Hamas, voicing concern about "clear violations of international humanitarian law" in the Gaza Strip.
He told the 15-member U.N. Security Council that it was vital to be clear that war has rules, starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians.
Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan described Guterres' speech as "shocking" and called on Guterres to resign immediately, while Israel's visiting Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he would not meet with Guterres on Tuesday as planned.
Guterres instead met with family representatives of the hostages held in Gaza.
Guterres noted on Wednesday that in his statement to the Security Council he "condemned unequivocally" the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people, saying: "Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians - or the launching of rockets against civilian targets."
Referring to his statement on Wednesday, he said: "I believe it is necessary to set the record straight - especially out of respect for the victims and their families."
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation