"In what world do you live?" Israeli FM lambasts UN chief over criticism of actions in Gaza

New York [US], October 24 : Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen lashed out at the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over his criticism of Tel Aviv's counter-offensive in Gaza and said that the only "proportionate response" to October 7 attacks is the "total destruction" of Hamas.
Addressing the UN Security Council session on the Israel-Gaza crisis, Cohen said, "Mr Secretary General (Guterres), in what world do you live? Definitely, this is not our world".
His remarks came after the UN chief said that the attacks by Hamas "did not happen in a vacuum" further adding that the attacks cannot justify the "collective punishment of the Palestinian people".
"It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," the UN chief said at the session.
The UN chief added, "The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people".
In a fiery response to this, Eli Cohen announced that he won't be meeting the UN Secretary-General.
"I will not meet with the UN Secretary-General. After October 7th there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased from the world!" Cohen posted on X.
During his address at the UN General Assembly, Eli Cohen recited a poem written by Holocaust survivor in 1948.
"Five years later, United Nations voted in favour of creation of a Jewish state. The belt of the state of Israel. 75 years ago, was a clear statement. Never Again. Saturday, October 7 will go down in history...it is nothing less than a brutal massacre. It is a wake-up call for the entire free world, against extremism and terror.
"This massacre will go down in history as more brutal than ISIS. Hamas are the new Nazis. Just, as the civilised world united to defeat the Nazis, ISIS, the civilised world has to stand united to defeat Hamas.
Further during his address, stating that the charter of Hamas clearly mentions about the "destruction" of the state of Israel, Cohen further called for an unconditional release of all the hostages under Hamas.
Reiterating Israel's stance to vanquish terror organization Hamas, he said that the only "proportional response" to Hamas attacks is the "total destruction" of Hamas.
"This is the world we live Secretary General. We gave Palestinians Gaza till last millimetre. There is no dispute to the length of Gaza, but they take the money from the world and instead of building hospital, office buildings...they built tunnels to dug tunnels to build rocket factory," Cohen said.
He added, "What should be the proportionate response, to the people who rape and burn them, how can you agree for a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence? How? The proportional response to October 7 is a total destruction to the last one of the Hamas. It's not just Israel's right to destroy Hamas but our duty".