Israel bans UN chief Guterres from entering country

New Delhi, Oct 2: Israel on Wednesday declared UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres persona non grata and banned him from entering the country for his failure to “unequivocally condemn” Iran’s missile attack.

“Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country. Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil,” announced Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz, late Wednesday afternoon.

The decision follows Guterres’ call for a ceasefire and his condemnation of the escalating conflict, which Israel views as unsatisfactorily critical of Iran’s role in the hostilities.

With the first anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel just a few days away, Katz slammed the United Nations chief for failing to act against the terror organisations.

“This is a Secretary-General who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organisation. A Secretary-General who gives backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran—the mothership of global terror—will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN,” the Israeli Foreign Minister wrote on X.

He said that Israel will continue to defend its citizens and “uphold its national dignity, with or without Antonio Guterres”.

The UN Secretary General had on Tuesday said that he is “extremely concerned” with the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon and appealed for an immediate ceasefire.

Guterres said that an all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon “at all costs”, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected.

He posted another message on X a few hours later when Iran attacked Israel with nearly 200 missiles on Tuesday night.

“I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire,” said Guterres.

Iran, meanwhile, defended its missile strikes as an act of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasising that Iran hit military, not civilian, targets.

Araghchi warned that any third-party support for Israel would be met with a harsh response from Iran, reiterating the country’s commitment to backing Hizbollah and the broader resistance movement.

As the situation in Lebanon deteriorates, concerns about a wider regional conflict, and more violence, involving multiple states and stakeholders continue to grow, with both military and civilian casualties rising.