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Guterres 'does not deserve' to lead UN: Israeli FM

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 Nov 2023 00:09
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Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen deems the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "unfit" to lead the global body because he is not pro-"Israel" enough.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP)

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is unsuitable to head the global body, according to the Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, because Guterres failed to condemn Hamas and was "too close to Iran."

Cohen, during a press brief in Geneva where he was set to meet with the World Health Organization and International Red Cross leaders alongside the relatives of Israeli captives in Gaza, criticized the UN for not "standing with Israel" although it was the UN that mourned over 100 of its staff that "Israel" killed in the Strip.

"Guterres does not deserve to be the head of the United Nations," said Cohen, adding, "I think that Guterres like all the free nations should say clearly and loudly: free Gaza from Hamas. Everyone said Hamas is worse than ISIS. Why can he not say it?"

This comes as the UN Secretary-General repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza, lamenting the massive loss of civilian lives.

Just today, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres is deeply disturbed by the "dramatic loss of life" in several hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

"In the name of humanity, the secretary-general calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire," Dujarric told reporters.

Earlier on Sunday, Cohen noted, having sensed a decline in international support for the aggression, that the war on Gaza and the ground invasion will continue regardless of the international position on the matter.

"First of all, we see unprecedented support for Israel on the world stage. Dozens of world leaders and foreign ministers came here and expressed solidarity. But let me be perfectly clear - even if the international credit of trust ends, we will continue to move towards achieving the two goals that we have set for ourselves: the elimination of Hamas and the release of all hostages," Cohen told Channel 14.

'Israel' prevents ICRC from attending to prisoners since October 7

While "Israel" criticizes Guterres for not being pro-"Israel" enough, the International Committee of the Red Cross has not been allowed to visit Palestinian prisoners since the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, as confirmed by the ICRC spokesperson Fatima Sator on Tuesday. Sator revealed that these measures are imposed at a time when the Israeli occupation forces have arrested at least 1,500 more Palestinians from the West Bank since the start of the operation.

"Since October 7, Israel has not permitted the ICRC to visit Palestinians under arrest in the country," said Sator in a briefing in Geneva when asked if the ICRC had the opportunity to check on the health of those arrested, before adding, "We regret this situation and keep reminding [Israel] of its international obligations."