What's happened
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres persona non grata, escalating tensions following the October 7 Hamas attacks. Guterres condemned the violence in Gaza, which has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths, while Israel accuses the UN of bias. The situation threatens broader regional stability.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Edith M. Lederer from The Independent, Katz's remarks highlight Israel's long-standing grievances against the UN, accusing it of bias and antisemitism. Guterres, however, has consistently condemned violence from all sides, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire. BBC News reports that Guterres's condemnation of Iran's missile attacks on Israel further complicates the situation, as Israel demands unequivocal support against such aggressions. The contrasting narratives illustrate the complexities of international diplomacy in the region, with both sides entrenched in their positions.
How we got here
The conflict intensified after Hamas's October 7 attacks, killing around 1,200 Israelis. Israel's military response has led to significant Palestinian casualties, raising accusations of collective punishment and bias against the UN, which has been scrutinized for its role in the region.
More on these topics
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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees.
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Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a