Knesset speaker says he canceled meeting with Guterres over UN chief’s criticism of Israel

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks aduring a press briefing at UN headquarters on February 8, 2024 in New York. (Angela Weiss/AFP)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks aduring a press briefing at UN headquarters on February 8, 2024 in New York. (Angela Weiss/AFP)

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana announces that he decided to cancel a meeting that he was supposed to hold today in New York with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, citing the latter’s claim last night that Israel is violating international law with its war against Hamas in Gaza.

“The cancellation of the meeting does not come in a vacuum. I intended to try and convince him, but yesterday he again called on the State of Israel to stop fighting, criticizing it ‘even if Hamas uses human shields,'” Ohana says in a statement.

Guterres said yesterday that Israel still has obligations under international law not to harm civilians, even if Hamas uses them as human shields — a practice that the UN chief also condemned.

Ohana calls Guterres a “lost cause” and says he has to uphold his “red lines.”

“I will not whitewash Guterres,” Ohana declares.

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