The UN Secretariat says that Israel’s decision to declare Guterres ‘persona non grata’ is “yet another attack”

MADRID 2 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations Secretariat has assured this Wednesday that Israel’s decision to declare the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, ‘persona non grata’, is “yet another attack” on the organization’s staff.

“We have seen the announcement this morning, which we consider to be a political statement by the Foreign Minister and it is just one more attack, so to speak, on UN staff by the Government of Israel,” said the spokesman for the secretary general of the UN, Stephane Dujarric.

Likewise, he has clarified that the UN does not recognize that the concept of ‘persona non grata’ can be applied to the organization’s personnel. “We see this announcement as a political statement rather than a legal one,” he stated at a press conference.

“I do not remember that in my time here, which I have been here for 24 years, these types of announcements have been made. There have been times when there have been extremely tense situations between the secretary general and several member states, but I do not remember that this has been used type of language,” he added.

Dujarric has also explained that there are “a number” of statements of condemnation by Guterres “about the attacks of October 7, acts of sexual violence and other horrors.” “I think the secretary general’s record speaks for itself,” he said.

Asked about the current cooperation between Israel and the UN, Dujarric recalled the issue of visas for workers of the organization, accused by Israel of being a “complicit partner” of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

“Philippe Lazzarini, who heads UNRWA (UN Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East), no longer has a visa to go to Israel and has not been authorized to go to Gaza,” the spokesperson explained, adding who, despite this, continue to try to do their job as best they can.

Guterres indicated this Wednesday that his condemnation of Iran’s attack was “obvious” in the context of his statement on Tuesday shortly after Tehran launched a wave of missiles against Israel in response to the death of the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah and for the Israeli attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has regretted that it did not mention Iran in its statement or clearly condemn its “serious aggression”, which is why it considers that it is not welcome now. “Israel will continue to defend its citizens and its national dignity with or without António Guterres,” its head, Israel Katz, has warned.