Israel blasts UN chief for comments on Yemen strikes
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Friday lambasted U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres for his criticism of IDF’s retaliatory airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi terrorists.
Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East on April 14, 2024. Credit: Eskinder Debebe/U.N. Photo.
“This is unbelievable. Just read the text of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ statement. Can you think of a country that is conspicuously missing from the paragraph that describes the Houthis attacks? Mr. Secretary-General, why can’t you utter the word ‘Israel’ when it comes to terror attacks?” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein wrote on X.
“Israel has been attacked hundreds of times by Houthi terrorists. Millions of Israelis are being terrorized by Houthis missile attacks every night. All of these attacks on Israel were unprovoked and carried out by terrorists operating 2,000 kilometers [1,250 miles] away from Israel,” Marmorstein continued.
“And yet, Secretary-General Guterres couldn’t bring himself to mention that the State of Israel and its citizens have been relentlessly attacked by the Houthis—and that Israel was acting in self-defense. What a disgrace,” he added.
Guterres has frequently criticized Israel for carrying out strikes against its enemies over the past 15 months in its multi-front war, while largely remaining silent when Israel sustains attacks.
“The Secretary-General is gravely concerned about intensified escalation in Yemen and Israel. Israeli air strikes today on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming. The air strikes reportedly resulted in numerous casualties, including at least three killed and dozens more injured,” according to the statement issued on Thursday by a spokesperson for Guterres, which Marmorstein was criticizing.
“Today’s airstrikes follow around a year of escalatory actions by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the region that threaten civilians, regional stability and freedom of maritime navigation. The Secretary-General emphasizes that international law—including humanitarian law, as applicable—must be respected at all times, and he appeals to all to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Humanitarian relief personnel must not be targeted and must be respected and protected at all times,” the statement continued.
“The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region and reiterates his call for all parties concerned to cease all military actions and exercise utmost restraint,” it added.
Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli Air Force conducted a series of strikes on the western coast of and deep inside Yemen, including at Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-controlled capital.
The operation was reportedly Israel’s largest-scale attack in Yemen since the Houthis started launching munitions at the Jewish state in an “solidarity” with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Houthi terrorists have launched over 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel in support of Hamas since the Gazan terrorist invasion of the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Yemeni terrorist group has escalated its attacks in recent days, scoring hits on Israel’s densely populated central region.
JNS
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It’s certainly incredible that Guterres could make the speech he has without reference to Houthi missile attacks on Israel and the necessity for Israel to defend itself. It shows him for what he is, with the silent space left through no mention of these constant attacks on Israel by the Houthis resounding.