Persona non grata: Israel bars UN Secretary-General from entering country

Israel has officially barred the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, from entering the country, declaring him persona non grata, according to a statement by Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday.

In recent months, other UN officials have also been banned from entering Israel, including Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinians, who was accused of favouring the Palestinians. The head of the UN humanitarian office in the occupied Palestinian Territories was also banned in August after Israel refused to extend his visa, citing a UN report alleging that Israel violated the rights of Palestinian children.

Israel has further questioned the credibility of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Katz explained that the decision to ban Guterres was due to his failure to "unequivocally condemn" Iran for a missile attack on Israel that occurred on Tuesday and for not labelling the Palestinian resistance group Hamas as a "terrorist organisation."

The missile attack by Iran, involving around 180 projectiles, was stated by Iran to be in retaliation for the recent assassinations of key leaders, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander. Following the attack, Israel declared its intention to respond at a time of its choosing, labelling it as “a severe, dangerous escalation.”

Tensions have been rising in the region due to Israel’s prolonged offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 41,600 deaths, the majority of whom were women and children, following a Hamas attack in October last year. The conflict has also spilled over into Lebanon, with Israel launching airstrikes that have killed over 1,000 people and injured nearly 3,000 others since September 23 .