Israel stated on Thursday it could minimize off all contact with its ambassador, United Nations Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres, calling his blacklisting over allegations of sexual violence within the battle zone “outrageous.”
“I am executed with this Secretary-Basic,” Ambassador Danny Danon stated in a video posted to X.
“The choice to blacklist Israel and accuse it of utilizing sexual violence as a weapon of conflict is an outrageous choice,” he stated, referring to a forthcoming report from Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres’ workplace.
“The Secretary-Basic and his crew proceed to unfold lies in opposition to Israel. It’s unacceptable to place us and Hamas terrorists on the identical checklist.”
Israel’s International Ministry has criticized the nation’s inclusion on the UN checklist of sexual violence, calling it “shameful and irrational.”
The transfer is “additional proof of the character of the United Nations: a politicized and corrupt group that has deserted its founding rules and systematically targets Israel as its main mission,” ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein instructed X.
Israel’s mission to the United Nations stated in an announcement that it’s going to don’t have any contact with the secretary-general’s workplace so long as Mr. Guterres stays in his publish.
A spokesman for Guterres, whose time period as U.N. secretary-general ends on December 31, stated the secretariat was conscious of Danon’s feedback.
“For us, the door to the Secretary-Basic stays open,” stated spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
It’s customary for the UN Secretary-Basic’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence to be submitted to related international locations previous to publication.
Final August, the report warned that Israel may very well be added to the checklist of events suspected or liable for sexual violence in armed conflicts.
The militant group Hamas is on the checklist for alleged abuse of hostages, in addition to sexual violence dedicated through the group’s assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The United Nations cited “credible info” about sexual violence allegedly perpetrated in opposition to Palestinians by Israeli safety forces in prisons and different detention amenities and stated U.N. inspectors had been denied entry to the amenities.
“We invited representatives from the United Nations to Israel to return and confirm these ridiculous claims. They selected to not come,” Danon stated.
Relations between the United Nations and Israel have reached an all-time low for the reason that unprecedented assault by Hamas in 2023 that sparked Israel’s conflict on Gaza.
Israeli authorities have condemned Mr. Guterres and different U.N. officers for criticizing Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza. The UN Secretary-Basic was declared “persona non grata” in Israel in 2024.
Israel additionally accused staff of the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees, often known as UNRWA, of participating within the 2023 assault.
