Israel bars UN secretary-general from entering country

Israel has barred the UN secretary-general from entering the country, declaring him officially unwelcome, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Several UN officials were also banned from entering Israel in recent months, including UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinians Francesca Albanese, accused of siding with the Palestinians, and the UN humanitarian office chief in occupied Palestinian Territory, who said in August that Israel did not extend his visa due to a UN report accusing Israel of violating the rights of Palestinian children.

Seeking to justify the move, the foreign minister said Guterres did not "unequivocally condemn" Iran over its Tuesday missile attack on Israel and also has not declared Palestinian resistance group Hamas a "terrorist organization."

On Tuesday, Iran fired some 180 missiles at Israel, which said it was in retaliation for the recent assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander.

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