Israel bans UN secretary-general from entering country

Israel Katz, Israeli foreign minister, has announced a ban preventing Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations (UN), from entering the country.

In an X post on Wednesday, Katz termed Guterres “undesirable”.

“I decided today to declare U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres an undesirable personality in Israel and to ban his entry into Israel,” Katz said.

Guterres failed to “unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel” on Tuesday, Katz said, and as a result “does not deserve to set foot on Israel’s soil.”

Iran said its missile attacks on Israel was retaliation for the deaths of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader; Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political leader;  and Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Israeli air strikes killed those three figures in recent times, tipping the region closer toward a multi-front crisis.

After Iran fired missiles at Israel, Gutteres condemned the broadening of the Middle East conflict.

“This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire,” the UN chief said.

Katz accused Guterres of giving “support to the terrorists, rapists and murderers of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and now to the mother ship of global terrorism, Iran”.

“Israel will continue to protect its citizens and maintain its status and national honor with or without Antonio Guterres,” the foreign minister added.

Banning the UN chief from entering the country marks a major escalation in tensions between Israel and the global body.

Several UN officials were also banned from entering Israel in recent months, including Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for Palestinians, and the UN humanitarian office chief in occupied Palestinian territory.

Israel has also attacked the credibility of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees.

It is not immediately clear if Katz has the authority to bar Guterres from the country. In most climes, such authority would lie only with the interior minister.