Tension Between Israeli Officials and UN Secretary-General; Israeli Foreign Minister Cancels Meeting with Guterres

Following the UN Secretary-General's criticism of Israel's bombing of Gaza, Eli Cohen, Israel's Foreign Minister, announced on Tuesday that he would not meet with Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, as their previously scheduled meeting was canceled. According to CNN, the Israeli Foreign Minister stated that there is no room for a 'balanced approach' after the October 7 massacre. On Tuesday, Eli Cohen emphasized in a social media post: 'Hamas must be eradicated from the face of the Earth.' Meanwhile, Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern during a UN Security Council meeting in New York about the blatant violations of international humanitarian law witnessed in Gaza. Previously, Guterres had stated that 'protecting civilians does not mean instructing over a million people to evacuate to southern Gaza, where there is no shelter, food, water, fuel, or medicine.' In response to these remarks, Cohen, who was present at the Security Council meeting, addressed Guterres, saying: 'What world do you live in? This is certainly not our world.' On Tuesday, Eli Cohen criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in response to a journalist's question at the UN office, stating: 'Shame on you.' Additionally, Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the UN, called for Guterres to 'immediately resign' after Guterres's statements, asserting that 'Guterres is not fit to lead the UN.' Earlier, Voice of America reported on October 20 that the UN Secretary-General stated that Hamas's 'shameful attack' on Israel 'can never justify collective punishment of Palestinians.' According to the Associated Press, Antonio Guterres called for the protection of civilians and the preservation of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and UN facilities, from bombings. Last week, during a meeting in Egypt regarding the Israel-Hamas war, Guterres stated that a 'two-state solution' is the only realistic basis for peace and stability between Israel and the Palestinians.