Israel to refuse visas to UN officials after UN Secretary-General's statement

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan says the country will refuse visas to UN officials after Secretary-General Antonio's statement that "Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum".

The Times of Israel reports.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths has already been denied a visa. 

"Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives," Gilad Erdan said.

Following the statements by the Israeli representative about the resignation of the Secretary-General and the refusal of the Israeli Foreign Minister to meet with Guterres, the Secretary-General wrote that "those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

It will be recalled that on October 24, Guterres said that "Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum", as "the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation", which has led to increased violence, displacement and economic decline. In response, the Permanent Representative of Israel wrote that he demanded Guterres' resignation.

Photo: AP