Israel on Thursday announced that it was cutting all contact with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, sharply escalating tensions between Tel Aviv and the UN amid the ongoing Gaza war and allegations of conflict-related sexual violence. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon announced the decision in a video posted on X, calling an upcoming UN report “outrageous” for allegedly placing Israel on a blacklist linked to sexual violence in conflict zones.
“We are done with this secretary-general,” Danon said. “The decision to blacklist Israel and accuse us of using sexual violence as a weapon of war is an outrageous decision,” he added. “The secretary-general and his team continue to spread lies against Israel. To put us and Hamas terrorists on the same list, that's unacceptable,” he said.
Israel’s foreign ministry also launched a strong attack on the UN, calling the country’s inclusion on the list “shameful and absurd.” “The move is further proof of the UN's true nature: a politicized and corrupt organization that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission,” Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said on X.
The Israeli mission to the UN later said it would maintain no contact with the secretary-general’s office as long as Guterres remains in the role.
Responding to the remarks, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organisation was aware of Israel’s position but stressed that “the secretary-general's door remains open.”
The annual UN report on conflict-related sexual violence is usually shared with relevant countries before publication. Last year, the report warned that Israel could be added to the list over allegations involving Palestinian detainees in prisons and detention centres.
The UN said it had received “credible information” regarding alleged sexual violence by Israeli security personnel but claimed inspectors were denied access to the facilities. “We invited the representative of the UN to come to Israel to check those ridiculous allegations. They chose not to come,” Danon said.
Relations between Israel and the United Nations have deteriorated sharply since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent war in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly accused Guterres and senior UN officials of bias over criticism of Israeli military operations in Gaza. In 2024, Guterres was declared “persona non grata” by Israel.
Israel has also accused employees of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, of involvement in the October 7 attack.
Diana George is Associate Editor at Times Now, with over a decade of experience covering national and international news, crime, and local politics. S...View More
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