Israel Prevents UN Secretary-General from Entering Country, Reports Reuters

JERUSALEM – Israel’s foreign minister announced on Wednesday that he would bar U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country due to his failure to “unequivocally” condemn Iran’s missile attack on Israel.

On Tuesday, Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel amidst rising tensions linked to ongoing conflicts involving Israel and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. While many missiles were intercepted, some managed to breach missile defense systems.

Following the attack, Guterres issued a brief statement condemning the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Earlier that same day, Israel had deployed troops into southern Lebanon.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated that Guterres’ reluctance to explicitly denounce Iran’s actions rendered him unwelcome in Israel. “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as nearly all countries have done, does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil,” Katz remarked, asserting that Israel would continue to protect its citizens regardless of Guterres’ presence.

In response to this announcement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller indicated that such moves were not constructive for Israel’s global standing, emphasizing the critical role the U.N. plays in the region.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric characterized the decision as political and described it as yet another attack on U.N. personnel by the Israeli government, noting that traditionally, the U.N. does not acknowledge the concept of persona non grata for its staff.

In a Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Guterres reiterated his condemnation of Iran’s missile attack, which he had previously denounced in April.