Israel bans UN Secretary-General from entering country

Israel has announced that it will ban the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, from entering the country.

Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, declared Guterres “undesirable” in a post on X on Wednesday, citing the UN chief’s failure to condemn Iran’s recent missile attacks on Israel.

“I decided today to declare U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres an undesirable personality in Israel and to ban his entry into Israel,” Katz wrote.

He accused Guterres of failing to “unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel,” which Katz said disqualifies the UN leader from setting foot on Israeli soil.

The missile strikes by Iran, according to Tehran, were a direct retaliation for the targeted killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and senior IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan, all of whom were killed in recent Israeli airstrikes.

In response to the widening regional violence, Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire, saying, “This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.”

However, his remarks were seen by Israel as insufficiently critical of Iran and its allies.

Katz accused Guterres of supporting terrorist organizations, stating, “Israel will continue to protect its citizens and maintain its status and national honour with or without Antonio Guterres.”

The foreign minister also linked Guterres’ position to support for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

This move is the latest in a series of diplomatic clashes between Israel and the UN, with several officials from the global body barred from entering the country in recent months, including Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for Palestinians, and the head of the UN’s humanitarian office in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel has also sharply criticized the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees.

It remains unclear if Katz holds the legal authority to enforce such a ban, as this power typically falls under the purview of Israel’s interior minister.