UN chief calls Israel’s conduct throughout Gaza war ‘fundamentally wrong’
‘Objective was to destroy Hamas. Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed,’ Guterres tells Reuters event, claims ‘strong reasons to believe’ war crimes have been committed
NEW YORK (Reuters) — There was something “fundamentally wrong” with how Israel conducted its military operation in the Gaza Strip and there are “strong reasons to believe” that war crimes have been committed, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Reuters on Wednesday.
“I think there was something fundamentally wrong in the way this operation was conducted with total neglect in relation to the deaths of civilians and to the destruction of Gaza,” Guterres said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference in New York.
“The objective was to destroy Hamas. Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this is conducted,” he told Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni.
Israel’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Guterres’s remarks.
When asked if war crimes had been committed, Guterres said: “There are strong reasons to believe that that possibility might be a reality.”
Guterres also praised the United States for being instrumental in improving aid access in Gaza: “There is an excellent cooperation in the humanitarian aid between the UN and the US, and I hope that this will be maintained and developed.”
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 70,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed over 22,000 combatants in battle as of August and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during and immediately after the October 7, 2023, onslaught.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.
‘Still far from a solution’ in Ukraine, Guterres says
Turning to Ukraine, Guterres said that negotiations to end the war with Russia appeared stuck and that the solution to the conflict should abide by international law and the territorial integrity of states.
“Is it going to be so? Probably not,” he said. “I believe we are still far from a solution.”
“The violation of these rules is extremely dangerous because everywhere in the world, people will feel that they can do whatever they want because international law doesn’t matter anymore. And so I hope that the way the negotiations end will respect these principles, even if I understand that will not be easy,” Guterres said.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the depths of the Cold War. The United States is trying to broker an end to the conflict.
Urges more aid efforts from Trump administration
US President Donald Trump has described the UN as having “great potential” but said it is not fulfilling that. He has slashed US foreign aid and wants to further cut US funding for the United Nations.
Guterres described the UN approach to the Trump administration: “Do not make any concession that puts into question the fidelity of the values we defend, but not to engage in polemics that serve no purpose.”
“I’m not interested in having any polemic with the US administration. I’m interested in preserving the values of UN and preserving the values in which I believe we can build a world that is more fair, in which international law is respected, and in which the huge inequalities that exist can be overcome,” Guterres said.
He said the US cuts had “created an opportunity” for him to push for UN reforms, but that there had been dramatic consequences on the ground: “A reduction of the levels of humanitarian aid that is provided, as we are witnessing now, makes many people die.”
Crisis in Venezuela
On US strikes on vessels near Venezuela, Guterres said the United Nations had been clear that those actions were not compatible with international law.
US troops have carried out at least 21 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, killing at least 83 people as Trump escalates a military buildup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
“I have no particular sympathy for the regime in Venezuela and the violations of human rights that were committed that are well known, but I don’t think military confrontation would be the solution for the problem,” he said.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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