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UN chief Antonio Guterres has dismissed Israel’s request that he withdraw his criticism of this week’s Israeli raid on Jenin, maintaining his earlier, damning statement on the disastrous Israeli strikes and ground operation in a refugee camp in the occupied Palestinian city.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nation, Gillad Erdan, had called on the UN Secretary-General to withdraw his condemnation of Israeli forces’ use of excessive forces, saying the operation devastated the camp and inflicted harm on civilians during the recent raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
Responding to Erdan’s request, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq stated on Friday that Guterres stands by his views on Israel’s operation in the Jenin refugee camp.
Guterres, expressing his outrage over Israeli air attacks on Jenin and the endangerment of the civilian population, issued a statement on Thursday.
In his statement, the UN chief highlighted that the assault resulted in over 100 civilian injuries, the displacement of thousands of residents, the destruction of schools and hospitals, and the disruption of water and electricity networks.
According to Guterres, the air strikes and ground operations conducted by Israel in a densely populated refugee camp constituted the most severe violence witnessed in the West Bank in many years and had a davastating impact on civilians.
Read also: Nine Palestinians Killed as Israel Launches Air Attacks on Jenin
The UN chief also criticised Israel for obstructing medical care for the injured and preventing humanitarian workers from accessing those in need during the military aid, which led to the deaths of 12 Palestinians and left approximately 100 wounded. One Israeli soldier was also killed.
Erdan, Israel’s UN Ambassador, denounced the UN Secretary-General’s criticism of the Israeli military assault, describing it as “shameful, far-fetched, and completely detached from reality.”
In response to a request from the United Arab Emirates, the UN Security Council held a closed-door meeting on Friday to discuss Israel’s operation in Jenin. UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari provided a briefing to the council members.
Ahead of the council meeting, Erdan sent a letter to the 15 council members and Guterres, urging the international community and the Security Council to condemn the recent Palestinian terror attacks unconditionally and hold the Palestinian leadership accountable.
Erdan claimed that Israeli forces in Jenin focused solely on targeting those involved in terror activities against innocent Israeli civilians.
On Wednesday, three independent human rights experts issued a statement asserting that the Israeli air attacks and ground actions in Jenin constituted grave violations of international law and standards regarding the use of force, and they may even amount to a war crime.
Following the discussions, the Security Council did not take any further action on the matter.
