Israel bans UN chief from entering its borders

TEL AVIV: In a rather brazen move, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was banned from entering Israel on Wednesday.

The decision follows a recent missile barrage launched by Iran targeting Israel with over 180 ballistic missiles on Tuesday.

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Iran launched the missiles on Israel after it bombarded Lebanon for days, leading to over 800 people dying. Among the killed were Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, and several other important members.

Most of the missiles were intercepted by the Israeli defense systems. However, several managed to evade and breach the occupying forces’ protective measures.

Guterres released a statement denouncing the violence in the Middle East, referring to the situation as escalations, something Israel took an issue with.

Katz blasted the UN chief’s words as ‘inadequate’. “Anyone who cannot clearly condemn Iran’s brutal attack on Israel, as nearly all nations have done, should not be allowed on Israeli territory”.

Meanwhile, the United States (US) State Department responded with its spokesperson Matthew Miller lightly criticising Israel’s decision. He remarked that “actions like these do not contribute positively to Israel’s global standing”.

Miller pointed to the humanitarian work the UN carries out in encircled Gaza Strip, stating that the international orgnisation plays an important in bettering security and stability in the region.

The UN responded, as well, with tis spokesperson Stephane Dujarric calling the announcement a political manoeuvre against UN officials. She stated that the UN did not acknowledge the notion of “persona non grata” for its representatives.

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During a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Guterres addressed the matter himself. He condemned the Iranian missile attack on Israel. “As I previously condemned the Iranian attack in April, and as should have been evident from my statements yesterday, I once again strongly denounce the massive attack by Iran”, he said.