UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been criticized for responding to the callous killings of Israeli and American hostages in Gaza on Friday with a message that failed to even mention, let alone condemn, the Hamas terrorists who kidnapped and killed them.
I will never forget meeting with Hersh Goldberg Pollin's parents and the other hostage families last October, and today's tragic news is a harsh reminder that all hostages must be unconditionally released and the nightmare of war in Gaza must end.
— Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 1, 2024
“I will never forget my meeting with the parents of Hersh Goldberg Pollin and other hostage families last October,” Guterres wrote on Sunday. “Today's tragic news is a harsh reminder of the need to unconditionally release all hostages and end the nightmare of war in Gaza.”
Reaction to his post on social media platform X was immediate and overwhelmingly negative, with hundreds of respondents calling Guterres “sick,” “cowardly” and “evil” for failing to condemn Hamas in his message.
Some criticized Guterres for using the passive voice and dismissing what had happened with a vague reference to “tragic news.” Murdered As the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were on the verge of rescuing them, they killed the captives in cold blood, shooting them in the head with an execution-style gunshot.
“Hamas killed six Israeli and American hostages with shots in the head. Why can't you say that? Why can't you condemn them?” said an indignant Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. asked Guterres.
“They don't even say Hamas. They don't condemn the terrorist group that took Harsh, held him hostage for 330 days and killed him. That says it all.” pointed out The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was outraged.
“The secretary-general not only has Israeli blood on his hands, but also American blood. Since his 'sham' meeting with the hostage families, he has done nothing to help them,” said Gilad Erdan, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations.
“He could have demanded a Red Cross visit and he could have condemned Hamas and held it accountable, but instead he spent his time criticizing Israel's law-abiding democracy, not terrorists like ISIS,” Erdan said. said Fox News on Sunday.
“This is a new low even for the secretary-general. Even today, he will not condemn the evil Hamas terrorists, but of course he cannot condemn what he supports,” Erdan said, dismissing Guterres as “morally bankrupt.”
Even more embarrassing for the UN and the Biden administration, Hamas was holding prisoners in the Gaza city of Rafah, which was visited by the UN, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Heavy Pressured Stay away from Israel.
The only hostage named by Secretary-General Guterres was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American killed by Hamas on Friday. Goldberg-Polin, 23, was kidnapped during a heinous terrorist attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
The five Israeli hostages whom Guterres did not salute by name were Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Almog Salsi, 27, Alex Lobanov, 32, and Carmel Gat, 40. Yerushalmi and Gat are women. All except Gat were abducted from the Nova music festival, with Gat taken from a kibbutz (communal village) near Israel.
What you need to know: The horror of Hamas terror attacks on civilians in Israel's Kibbutz Be'eri
Joel B. Pollack/Breitbart News
All of the victims were shot multiple times by Hamas captors “shortly before our arrival,” according to IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari.
“Their bodies were found during fighting in Rafah, about one kilometre from the tunnel from which Farhan al-Qadi was rescued a few days ago,” Haghari said. said.
Farhan Al-Qadi is a 52-year-old Bedouin Arab Muslim and Israeli national. Rescued alive Israeli special forces on Tuesday rescued al-Qadi from a Hamas tunnel. He was one of six Bedouins kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
“Since Farhan was found, we have been made aware that there may be more hostages in the area and have stressed that forces will act with even more caution than usual,” Haghari said at a press conference on Sunday.
