UN chief says Hamas blitz 'didn't happen in a vacuum', riling Israel

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has rankled Israel during a high-level session of the United Nations Security Council [UNSC] in which he stressed the October 7 cross-fence blitzkrieg by Palestinian resistance group Hamas "did not happen in a vacuum."

Opening the session on Tuesday, Guterres said there was no excuse for the "appalling" operation by Hamas on Israeli settlements and towns but also warned against "collective punishment" of the Palestinians.

"I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law," Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel.

He then said Hamas operation "did not happen in a vacuum" as the Palestinians have been "subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation."

His remarks infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

"Mr Secretary General, in what world do you live?" Cohen said.

Rejecting tying the violence to the occupation, Cohen said Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians "to the last millimetre" with its withdrawal in 2005.

Israel shortly afterwards imposed a harsh blockade of the impoverished enclave and it still occupies the West Bank.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign — writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the UN chief has "expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder."

Colombia backs Guterres

After calls for his resignation, Colombian President Gustavo Petro came out in defence of the UN chief, urging Israel to comply with the UN.

"The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has our full support and solidarity," said Petro on X.

"Telling the truth is not a reason for resignation," he added.

"Israel must comply with United Nations resolutions."

Israel has enforced a blockade on besieged Gaza for over 16 years, and access to food, water, and other necessities has been severely restricted ever since.

The blockaded enclave has been subjected to four previous major bombardments by Israel, now in its fifth one, in 2009, 2014, 2017 and 2021.

In the occupied West Bank, Israel has been expanding its illegal Israeli settlements, considered by the international community as illegal. Since October 7, it has killed at least 100 Palestinians, arrested hundreds and bombed many neighbourhoods of West Bank.

Other violations in the occupied West Bank include continuous raids on Palestinian camps and towns and the consistent storming of Al Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site.

Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardments since October 7, including 2,360 children. Some 704 were killed in the previous 24 hours alone, it said.