Secretary General António Guterres of the United Nations is facing a storm of criticism for his failure to explicitly condemn Hamas for the cold-blooded murder of an American and five Israeli citizens.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is facing widespread condemnation for failing to explicitly denounce the Hamas terrorist organization for the heinous murder of six hostages, including an American citizen.
Israeli Defense Forces conducted a rescue mission in a tunnel system beneath the Gaza city of Rafah to save the hostages held captive by Hamas, but discovered all six had been brutally murdered. The Times of Israel reported that the hostages were killed between Thursday and Friday morning.
UN Secretary-General Guterres Condemned for Ignoring Hamas Terrorism after Hostage Murders
Guterres' statement on Twitter expressed his sadness over the "tragic" news but avoided naming Hamas as the perpetrator or condemning their actions. This omission sparked outrage from Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, who accused Guterres of downplaying the severity of the murders.
"You are shredding the UN charter," Erdan said. "The Secretary General not only has Israeli blood on his hands, but he has American blood on his hands too."
UN Secretary-General Guterres Condemned for Ignoring Hamas Terrorism after Hostage Murders
Erdan criticized Guterres for failing to demand visits from the Red Cross or hold Hamas accountable, while instead targeting the "law-abiding democracy of Israel" with criticism.
Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, condemned Guterres' response, accusing him of "despicably turn[ing] the cold-blooded murder of Israeli hostages by Palestinian terrorists into a win for the terrorists."
UN Secretary-General Guterres Condemned for Ignoring Hamas Terrorism after Hostage Murders
Bayefsky noted that the United Nations has never specifically condemned Hamas and has consistently denied Israel's right to self-defense against terrorist attacks.
In October 2023, Erdan called for Guterres to resign after claiming that Guterres had suggested Israel was responsible for a Hamas massacre that resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people and the abduction of over 250. Guterres denied the accusations, but the United Nations has been criticized for its perceived antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.
UN Secretary-General Guterres Condemned for Ignoring Hamas Terrorism after Hostage Murders
Several UN agencies have been embroiled in scandals involving sympathy for Hamas. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is facing a lawsuit for allegedly aiding Hamas' terrorist activities.
The absence of Hamas on the United Nations' list of terrorist organizations has drawn criticism. Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, accused Guterres of ignoring the murder of six hostages and questioned why he could not condemn the perpetrators.
UN Secretary-General Guterres Condemned for Ignoring Hamas Terrorism after Hostage Murders
The United Nations has yet to provide a detailed explanation for its failure to condemn Hamas for the hostage murders. The incident has further strained relations between the UN and Israel, raising concerns about the organization's commitment to impartiality and the fight against terrorism.
