Israel accuses UN chief of justifying terrorism for saying Hamas attack ‘didn’t happen in a vacuum’

by AMY TEIBEL
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli officials are outraged over U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ comment that the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel “did not happen in a vacuum,” calling it justification for terrorism. Israel’s foreign minister canceled a scheduled meeting with Guterres while Israel’s Holocaust memorial said the U.N. chief “failed the test.” Israel’s envoy to the U.N. called Wednesday for his resignation, saying Israel must rethink its relations with the world body. The Israel-Hamas war has so far left at least 1,400 Israelis dead, and more than 220 taken hostage. Israeli airstrikes have destroyed large swaths of the Gaza enclave, leaving at least 6,500 Palestinians killed, including over 2,700 children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.