The UN Security Council has expressed its full support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel declared him persona non grata, media reported.
A statement issued by the Security Council said that “any decision not to engage with the UN Secretary-General or the United Nations is counterproductive, especially in the context of escalating tensions in the Middle East.”
The UNSC countries “underlined the need for all Member States (of the Organization) to build a productive and effective relationship with the Secretary-General and to refrain from any action that undermines his work, as well as the work of his office.”
On Wednesday, the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry Israel Katz declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata, citing his failure to unconditionally condemn Iran’s missile attack on Israel.
Guterres is prohibited from entering the country, Katz wrote on the social network X.
“Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, unlike almost every country in the world, does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil.” – said the minister.
Last Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a missile attack against Israel. The Israeli military said it would respond to the attack when it deemed appropriate.