Israel's ban on Guterres a political statement in long-running rift: UN

The United Nations on Wednesday called Israel's ban on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres entering the country a political statement by its foreign minister and stressed that the world body's contacts with Israel will continue "because they have to".

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz deeming the UN chief "persona non grata" is also "one more attack on the United Nations staff that we've seen from the government of Israel".

Israel's accusations of UN bias and antisemitism date back decades, but the rift has intensified since Hamas' October 7 attacks in the country's south killed about 1,200 people and launched the war in Gaza. Israel's offensive against the militant group has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters but that a little more than half were women and children.

An Israeli ground incursion in Lebanon and other attacks against Hezbollah, a Lebanese