UN’s Guterres says Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza ‘fundamentally wrong’

Guterres said Israel’s warfare has been waged with ‘total neglect’ with respect to civilian deaths and Gaza’s destruction.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the mode Israel has waged its warfare connected Gaza, describing it arsenic “fundamentally wrong” and saying “there are beardown reasons” to judge that Israeli forces person committed warfare crimes successful the Palestinian territory.

Guterres made the comments connected Wednesday successful an interrogation with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni astatine the quality agency’s NEXT league successful New York.

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“I deliberation determination was thing fundamentally incorrect successful the mode this cognition was conducted with full neglect successful narration to the deaths of civilians and to the demolition of Gaza,” Guterres said.

“The nonsubjective was to destruct Hamas. Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed. So determination is thing fundamentally incorrect with the mode this is conducted,” helium said.

When asked if helium believed Israeli forces whitethorn beryllium blameworthy of carrying retired warfare crimes since the struggle began much than 2 years ago, Guterres said that “there are beardown reasons to judge that that anticipation mightiness beryllium a reality”.

Responding to Guterres’s comments, Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon accused the UN main of utilizing his “elevated level to lambast and condemn Israel and Israelis astatine each opportunity”.

“The lone transgression committed is the motivation abomination that much than 2 years aft the horrific massacres of October 7, the UN secretary-general has inactive not visited Israel,” helium told Reuters.

In October 2024, then-Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, present the country’s defence minister, declared Guterres “persona non grata” successful Israel, accusing him of giving “backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers” for failing to condemn Iran’s missile attack connected the state that month.

More than 70,000 radical person died successful Gaza since October 7, 2023, erstwhile Israeli forces launched an all-out battle successful effect to a Hamas-led attack connected confederate Israel that saw much than 1,200 radical killed and 251 taken captive.

A fragile United States-brokered ceasefire – a 20-point bid plan pushed by US President Donald Trump – has been successful spot since October 10. But Israeli forces person repeatedly violated the truce with strikes and demolitions, claiming to beryllium targeting Hamas infrastructure successful Gaza.

Israel’s astir caller violations connected Wednesday resulted successful seven Palestinians being killed, including 2 children aged 8 and 10, successful attacks connected the coastal enclave.

According to Gaza’s authorities, Israeli forces person violated the ceasefire astatine slightest 591 times since it came into effect, sidesplitting astatine slightest 360 Palestinians and wounding 922 others.

In his Reuters interview, Guterres besides praised the US for being instrumental successful improving assistance entree successful Gaza, saying the humanitarian concern has “considerably improved” due to the fact that of unit exerted by Washington connected Israel.

“They person leverage that, of course, we [the UN] bash not,” helium said. “There is an fantabulous practice successful the humanitarian assistance betwixt the UN and the US, and I anticipation that this volition beryllium maintained and developed,” helium added.

Israel has continued to restrict the introduction of assistance into Gaza, contempt a cardinal information of the archetypal signifier of Trump’s bid program being that it fto humanitarian assistance into the enclave and unfastened the captious Rafah crossing separating it from Egypt.

On Wednesday, a subject portion called Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities successful the Territories (COGAT) said the “Rafah Crossing volition unfastened successful the coming days exclusively for the exit of residents from the Gaza Strip to Egypt”.

The announcement, signalling lone 1 absorption of travel, has raised fears that Gaza residents could beryllium permanently displaced, thing far-right ministers successful Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline authorities person promoted for months.