Israeli envoy castigates UN at solidarity event for hostages seized by Hamas

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations held a solidarity event for hostages held by Hamas in Gaza following its devastating assault in Israel last Saturday, at which he castigated the UN’s stance on the crisis, charging that the body is indifferent to the murder of 1,300 Israelis, and “does not want Israel to defend itself.”

The event, held ahead of a closed-door Security Council meeting on the war, featured the families of Israelis and dual nationals taken captive during the terror organization’s massive attack in Israel last week, where over 1,300 were massacred across Israeli southern communities and at a music festival, a majority of them civilians.

The terror group is also holding about 150-200 hostages in Gaza, including babies and young children and women, as Israel engages in an aerial bombardment on areas where Hamas operates in a declared effort to dismantle the terror group.

A short video was screened at the event “showing the atrocities committed by Hamas on innocent civilians including women, children and the elderly, and explaining why Hamas is the same as ISIS,” Erdan’s office said.

Family members of the hostages Yoni Asher, Alana and Liam Zeitchik, and Rabbi Burton Visotzky, spoke at the gathering.

Representatives of over two dozen countries attended, including the US, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Gabon, Greece, Guatemala, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Poland, Serbia and others.

“For years the UN has put its head in the sand. As resources and funds poured into Gaza and went straight into Hamas’ terror coffers – the UN stayed silent. As Hamas dug terror tunnels under residential neighborhoods – the UN stayed silent,” said Erdan, according to his office.

He criticized the UN for wanting to “minimize collateral damage, but in the same breath condemns civilian evacuation.”

After Israel issued a warning Friday to residents in northern Gaza to evacuate ahead of a possible incursion or a stepped-up aerial offensive, a spokesperson said the UN “considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences” and “strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”

“What we all hear is not the UN’s concern for civilians. What we hear is the UN’s indifference to the murder of 1,300 Israelis,” Erdan said. “The UN is making it clear that it does not want Israel to defend itself.”

“Hamas, the genocidal Jihadist terror group, bears the sole responsibility for everything that happens in Gaza,” he added.

“What if your child – your baby – was being held in Gaza by a genocidal Jihadist organization? What if it was your parents? What would you do? What would your country do?” he asked attendees.

“Israel is fully committed to bringing the hostages home and to obliterating Hamas’ terror capabilities,” he said.