The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, is facing criticism for his failure to condemn the Hamas terrorist group for the murder of one American and five Israeli citizens. The victims, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were held hostage by Hamas in Gaza’s tunnel system and were found murdered by the Israel Defense Forces. Guterres’ response to the tragic news was seen as inadequate by critics, who accused him of downplaying the severity of the acts by not explicitly condemning Hamas.
Former Israeli U.N. ambassador Gilad Erdan accused Guterres of having Israeli and American blood on his hands for his perceived lack of action in response to the hostage situation and subsequent murders. Erdan criticized Guterres for failing to demand visits from the Red Cross, condemn Hamas, or hold them accountable for their actions. He accused Guterres of focusing on criticizing Israel instead of addressing the actions of terrorist organizations like Hamas.
Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, also criticized Guterres for refusing to name the perpetrators of the murders and equating Israel’s efforts to release the hostages with Hamas’ actions. She denounced the United Nations for its failure to specifically condemn Hamas and its history of promoting violence against Israel. Bayefsky highlighted the U.N.’s role in perpetuating the conflict in the region and called for accountability from international organizations.
In response to Guterres’ handling of the situation, Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, questioned why the Secretary General did not explicitly condemn Hamas for the murders of the hostages. Neuer criticized the U.N.’s failure to name the perpetrators and condemn their actions, calling attention to the lack of accountability for terrorist groups like Hamas. The United Nations has faced accusations of anti-Israel bias and has been embroiled in scandals involving support for Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
In October, Erdan called for Guterres’ resignation after the Secretary General suggested that Israel was to blame for a massacre carried out by Hamas, resulting in numerous deaths and kidnappings. Despite Guterres’ refutation of these claims, critics have long viewed the U.N. as biased against Israel and sympathetic to terrorist groups like Hamas. Several U.N. agencies, including the scandal-plagued United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, have faced accusations of aiding Hamas and promoting anti-Israel sentiment.
The refusal of Guterres and the United Nations to explicitly condemn Hamas for the murders of the hostages has sparked outrage and criticism from Israeli officials, human rights advocates, and media watchdogs. The lack of accountability for terrorist organizations and the perceived bias against Israel within international organizations has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the U.N. in promoting peace and stability in the region. Calls for accountability and condemnation of terrorist acts continue to grow as the conflict between Israel and Hamas persists.
