Israel stops visas to UN officials

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan has said that his country has stopped visas to UN officials after remarks by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives,” Erdan told Army Radio on Wednesday.

“We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths,” Erdan said.

Protesting the UN chief’s indirect criticism of Israel, Gilad Erdan said ‘the time has come to teach them a lesson’.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres indirectly criticised Israel for ordering the evacuation of civilians from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip.

He also said Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 did not happen “in a vacuum” as the Palestinians have been “subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation”.