/Pogled.info/ Israel demanded the resignation of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres because of his statements. This threatens to end the interaction between the parties and the loss of chances for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict. What will happen next?
There is no excuse for anyone
In an open debate at the Security Council, Guterres said he had an explanation for the Hamas attack: “The people of Palestine have lived under a suffocating occupation for 56 years.” We are talking about the Arab population that finds itself under Israeli rule after the Six-Day War of 1967. However, he specified that this cannot serve as an excuse for the aggression of Arab extremists.
At the same time, according to Guterres, there is no justification for IS’s actions. “This is the collective punishment of Palestine. Even war has rules,” he stressed. Violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza are of great concern to him.
“Ordering one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, food, water, medicine or fuel, and then continuing to bomb, does not protect civilians,” Guterres said. And he called for an end to attacks on hospitals, as well as for respecting the inviolability of UN facilities where more than 600,000 people are sheltering.
From words to deeds
Israel’s permanent representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, responded: Guterres is “out of touch with reality.” And demanded his resignation. He is convinced that a person who “demonstrates an understanding of the campaign of mass murder of children, women and the elderly” is not worthy to lead an international organization. “There is no point in talking to those who sympathize with the most terrible atrocities against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people,” Erdan wrote on the X social network.
And he didn’t stop with the words. Israel will no longer allow Guterres officials into its territory. “We have already refused a visa to his deputy for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths,” Erdan said. It is time to “teach a lesson” to the organization’s representatives, he added, promising the UN its darkest times yet if its leadership is not replaced.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen backed Erdan and warned that he would not meet with Guterres in the future. “After October 7, there is no room for a balanced position,” he explained. The official commentary of the diplomatic department states that the UN has a biased and distorted view of Israel. Guterres is expected to apologize.
Lost keys to peace
Tel Aviv has always had problems with the UN.
“During the long history of the Middle East conflict, Israel, often constantly, was in conflict with the vast majority of UN member states and the Secretary General,” recalls the former deputy head of this international organization, Sergei Ordzhonikidze.
Having expressed this view, Guterres did not come up with anything new. “He expressed a general opinion. This is part of his duties. He does not have his own position. In accordance with the Statute, he performs the functions assigned to him by the General Assembly or the Security Council,” the diplomat clarified.
In his turn, Nikolay Topornin, associate professor from the Department of European Law MGIMO, still points out that the current situation is unprecedented.
“They went from words to practical actions, and this creates a very negative background. Israel took an extremely hard position. They think that Hamas cannot have any justification. In this logic, even the UN Secretary General has no right to say anything different,” he explains the expert.
A ground military operation against Hamas will result in many civilian casualties. This worries all countries, including the United States.
“Now Israel will not listen to the calls of the UN. And it will not deviate from its plans. The situation is unpredictable, but it is definitely not conducive to a peaceful settlement. Other Arab countries may enter the conflict,” warns Topornin.
The international community is unable to ease the confrontation or protect civilians. And now there is no mechanism to influence the warring countries, the expert added. All the most important discussions take place in the Security Council and UN committees, whose communication with Israel will be kept to a minimum.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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