Israel Prohibits UN Secretary-General António Guterres from Entering the Country
Israel has barred United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres from entering the country, accusing him of failing to "unequivocally" condemn Iran's missile attack that occurred on Tuesday night.
This decision follows Iran's launch of over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, coinciding with Israel's escalation of conflict with the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.
On the morning of October 2, Guterres released a brief statement addressing the "latest attacks in the Middle East," urging an end to the cycle of "escalation after escalation."
In response, Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister, Israel Katz, declared on the evening of October 2 on X, “Today, I have declared UN secretary-general António 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.”
Katz further criticized Guterres for not denouncing the Hamas attacks on October 7, which included massacres and sexual violence, and for not advocating for the official designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization. He stated, “This is a secretary-general who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on 7 October, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organization.”
Katz added, “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. Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without António Guterres.”
Amid ongoing concerns about an escalation of war in the region, Israel dispatched additional troops to southern Lebanon to confront Hezbollah on the morning of October 2. This deployment followed a warning from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "Iran made a big mistake... and it will pay for it."
According to a report by Axios, Israel is also preparing to target oil production facilities and other strategic sites within Iran.
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