Israel has officially barred UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country, accusing him of bias and failure to condemn Iran’s missile strikes on Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared Guterres “persona non grata,” citing his lack of unequivocal condemnation of Iran’s attack. Katz said, “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel… does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil.”
Katz also criticized Guterres for not addressing the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and for not recognizing groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis as terrorist organizations. He described Guterres’ stance as supporting these militant groups and noted that Israel would continue to defend itself with or without the UN chief’s involvement.
Iran recently fired 180 missiles into Israel, reportedly in response to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah leaders and Iranian officials. Despite this, Guterres’ call for a ceasefire and concern over Lebanon’s territorial integrity were seen as lacking a strong stance on Israel’s security. Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed retaliation, while Israel’s military managed to intercept many missiles, though some caused injuries.