UN Secretary-General Guterres criticizes Israel's actions in Gaza as 'fundamentally wrong'

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply criticized Israels military actions in Gaza, calling them fundamentally wrong and suggesting there are substantial grounds to believe war crimes may have been committed by Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni at the NEXT conference in New York, Guterres stated, There is a fundamental problem in the conduct of this operation, with complete disregard for civilian lives and the destruction of Gaza. The aim was to defeat Hamas. Gaza is devastated, yet Hamas remains intact. This points to a deeply flawed approach.

When asked whether Israeli forces could be guilty of war crimes, Guterres responded, There are strong reasons to consider that this possibility could be real.

In response, Israels UN ambassador Danny Danon accused the UN chief of using his position to consistently criticize Israel. The true wrongdoing is that more than two years after the tragic events of October 7, the UN secretary-general has not visited Israel, Danon told Reuters.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 70,000 deaths in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched a large-scale military operation following a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. A fragile US-brokered ceasefire, based on a 20-point plan promoted by former President Donald Trump, has been in place since October 10, yet Israeli strikes and demolitions have repeatedly violated the truce.

Recent Israeli actions on Wednesday killed seven Palestinians, including two children aged eight and ten. According to Gaza authorities, ceasefire violations have occurred at least 591 times, resulting in at least 360 deaths and 922 injuries.

Guterres also acknowledged the role of the United States in improving humanitarian access to Gaza, noting that the situation has significantly improved due to Washingtons influence on Israel. The US has leverage that the UN does not. There is excellent cooperation in humanitarian aid between the UN and the US, which I hope will continue and expand, he said.

Despite the peace plans requirement to allow aid into Gaza and reopen the Rafah crossing with Egypt, Israel continues to restrict assistance. On Wednesday, Israels Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced that the Rafah crossing would open exclusively for the exit of Gaza residents to Egypt, raising concerns about potential long-term displacement, a policy supported by far-right ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government.

Author: Sophia Brooks