Israeli officials have frequently criticized the United Nations during the 81-day war, even calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign.
The Israeli government said it will no longer automatically grant visas for United Nations workers, after claiming that some staffers were “complicit partners” with the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas. Instead, the applications will be considered on a “case-by-case basis.”
Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy announced the decision on Tuesday, slamming UN officials for “deflecting blame onto Israel” and “covering up for Hamas” throughout the ongoing war on Gaza.
AL-JAZEERA: The death toll resulting from the Israeli bombing of Khan Yunis has risen to 27.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/KvZsuXrmKP pic.twitter.com/FLYRlmxgEn
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 27, 2023
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that visa requests by UN employees will no longer be granted automatically, and will instead be considered on a case-by-case basis,” Levy said.
“Israel will stop working with those who cooperate with the Hamas terror regime’s propaganda machine, and we urge our allies to do the same and stand up for basic integrity in the global institutions that should serve, and not sabotage, international security.”
Israeli officials have frequently criticized the United Nations during the 81-day war, even calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign.
The UN has repeatedly warned of the “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UN Human Rights Office’s spokesperson Seif Magango reported that more than 50 strikes occurred in central Gaza on December 24-25, killing at least 86 people.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 21,110 Palestinians have been killed, and 55,243 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/KvZsuXrmKP pic.twitter.com/DpZiyNzhhO
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 27, 2023
The escalated Israeli bombardment, said Magango, is “deepening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.”
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 21,110 Palestinians have been killed, and 55,243 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
