No one above law: UN chief on Gaza bombing; Israel says resign

Guterres said he is deeply concerned about the “clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza”.

“Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.”

(Reuters news agency adds: Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan described Guterres’ speech as “shocking”. In a post on X, he called on Guterres to immediately resign, while Cohen said he would no longer meet with Guterres later on Tuesday as planned.

“I will not meet with the UN secretary-general. After Oct. 7 there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased from the world!” Cohen wrote.)

Reiterating his appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, Guterres said even war has rules and stressed that the international community must demand that all parties uphold and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.

While condemning unequivocally the “horrifying and unprecedented” acts of terror by Hamas in Israel on October 7, Guterres said that it is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas “did not happen in a vacuum”.

“The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing,” he said.

He, however, stressed that the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. “And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

The UN chief said an immediate humanitarian ceasefire would ease the “epic suffering” and make delivery of aid in Gaza easier and safer.

He termed the humanitarian relief that is finally getting into Gaza as “a drop of aid in an ocean of need.”

Drawing a parallel between terrorist attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai and by Hamas in Israel, US Secretary of State Blinken said that all acts of terrorism are “unlawful and unjustifiable” and the Security Council must denounce member states that arm, fund and train terrorist groups.

“We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this Council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people,” Blinken said.

In his remarks, Blinken drew a parallel between the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel and the Pakistan-based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai.

“As this Council and the UN General Assembly have repeatedly affirmed, all acts of terrorism are unlawful and unjustifiable. They’re unlawful and unjustifiable, whether they target people in Nairobi or Bali… Istanbul or Mumbai, in New York or Kibbutz Be’eri,” he said.

“They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether they’re carried out by ISIS, by Boko Haram, by Al Shabaab, by Lashkar-e-Taiba or by Hamas. They are unlawful and unjustifiable whether victims are targeted for their faith, their ethnicity, their nationality or any other reason,” Blinken said.

He stressed that the Security Council has a responsibility to denounce member states that arm, fund and train Hamas or “any other terrorist group that carries out such horrific acts.”

Blinken’s remarks appeared to refer to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.

“Every one of us has a stake, every one of us has a responsibility in defeating terrorism,” he said.

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