Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan slammed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for failing to retract his statement that Hamas's attack "did not happen in a vacuum," and repeated his demand for Guterres to step down.
"It's a disgrace for the UN that the secretary-general doesn't retract or even apologize for his clear remarks from yesterday. He should resign," he said.
“The secretary-general once again distorts and skews reality. Anyone can understand that the implication of his words is blaming Israel for Hamas' actions, or at the very least, the secretary-general showing understanding and justification for the massacre. A secretary-general who doesn't realize that there can be no justification or 'background' for the murder of innocent people should not be in his position." (Itamar Eichner)