UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “firmly refused” to back down from condemning Israel for its excessive use of force in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, had called on Guterres to retract the condemnation of Israel following the aggression in Jenin.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations, stated during a press conference in New York in response to a question about retracting the condemnation of Israel that Guterres “clearly condemns all violence that affects civilians regardless of the perpetrator.”
Guterres, who was outraged by the impact of Israeli airstrikes and the attack on the Jenin refugee camp, mentioned on Thursday that the operation resulted in over 100 civilian injuries, displaced thousands of Palestinians, damaged schools and hospitals, and disrupted water and electricity networks.
He also criticized Israel for preventing the wounded from receiving medical care and blocking humanitarian workers’ access to those in need.
The two-day Israeli attack on Jenin killed at least 12 Palestinians and forced thousands of Palestinians to flee their homes.
Guterres told reporters, “I strongly condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terrorism.”
When asked if this condemnation applied to Israel, he replied, “It applies to every excessive use of force, and it is clear that in this case, excessive force was used by Israeli forces.”
The United Nations Security Council discussed on Friday the Israeli military operation in Jenin behind closed doors, at the request of the United Arab Emirates, and received a briefing from Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Al-Khiary.
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