UN chief deplores 鈥榗lear violations鈥� of law in Gaza, angering Israel

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law in Gaza and urged an immediate cease-fire as Israel pounds the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks. (UNTV)
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  • Israel voiced anger over UN chief鈥檚 plea before high-level session of Security Council
  • Israel鈥檚 UN ambassador called on Guterres to resign

NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law in Gaza and urged an immediate cease-fire as Israel pounds the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks, with the crisis deeply dividing the Security Council.
Israel voiced anger over the UN chief鈥檚 plea before a high-level session of the Security Council, where the Palestinian foreign minister in turn denounced what he described as inaction in the conflict that has killed thousands on both sides, mostly civilians.
Opening the session, Guterres said there was no excuse for the 鈥渁ppalling鈥� violence by Hamas militants on October 7 but also warned against 鈥渃ollective punishment鈥� of the Palestinians.
鈥淚 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,鈥� Guterres told a Security Council session, without explicitly naming Israel.
Guterres said that the Palestinians had been 鈥渟ubjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,鈥� telling the Security Council: 鈥淚t is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.鈥�
His remarks infuriated Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen who, pointing his finger at Guterres and raising his voice, recounted graphic accounts of civilians killed on October 7 in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history.
鈥淢r Secretary-General, in what world do you live?鈥� Cohen said.
Pointing out that Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Cohen said, 鈥淲e gave the Palestinians Gaza till the last millimeter. There is no dispute in regards to the land of Gaza.鈥�
Israel shortly afterward imposed a blockade of the impoverished territory in place ever since after Hamas took power.
Israel鈥檚 ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the UN chief has 鈥渆xpressed an understanding for terrorism and murder.鈥�
Hamas militants stormed into Israel on October 7 and attacked largely civilian targets including families and a music festival, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 220 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
More than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed across the Gaza Strip in retaliatory Israeli bombardments, the territory鈥檚 Hamas-run health ministry said.
Guterres, who personally traveled to the crossing between Egypt and Gaza in a push to let in assistance, welcomed the crossing of three aid convoys so far through the Rafah crossing.
鈥淏ut it is a drop of aid in an ocean of need,鈥� Guterres said, warning that UN fuel supplies will run out within days.
鈥淭o ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer, and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire.鈥�
The Security Council session is bringing together top diplomats including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has previously rejected calls for a cease-fire, saying it would only allow Hamas to regroup.
The United States last week vetoed a draft resolution on the crisis, saying it did not sufficiently support Israel鈥檚 right to self-defense.
Blinken told the Security Council that the United States was putting forward a new resolution that 鈥渋ncorporates substantive feedback.鈥�
He questioned why there was not more outrage over the killings of Israelis.
鈥淲e must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such harm from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body, could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people,鈥� Blinken said.
The Palestinian Authority鈥檚 foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki, a rival of Hamas, denounced inaction by the Security Council.
鈥淭he ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel 鈥� the occupying power against the Palestinian civilian population under illegal occupation 鈥� must be stopped,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t is our collective human duty to stop them,鈥� he said. 鈥淐ontinued failure at this council is inexcusable.鈥�