WHO chief calls Israel's decision to declare Guterres persona non-grata "troubling and regrettable"

Geneva [Switzerland], October 5 : World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has offered support to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel declared him "persona non-grata," terming Tel Aviv's decision "troubling and regrettable."
Ghebreyesus called the UN "vital" for fostering unity and maintaining international peace and security. He urged Israel to take back its decision.
In a post on X, he stated, "#Israel's decision to declare Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata is troubling and regrettable. The @UN is vital for fostering unity and maintaining international peace and security. We urge a reversal of this decision and a renewed focus on peace efforts."
"@WHO fully supports Secretary-General and all @UN colleagues in their mission to provide humanitarian aid to those in need and to address the numerous conflicts impacting the world today. The best medicine is peace," he added.
Ghebreyesus' statement comes after Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, on October 2 announced his country's decision to declare United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata and banned him from entering Israel.
Katz said that anyone who cannot condemn Iran's attack on Israel does not deserve to enter Israel. He said that Guterres has not yet condemned the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7.
In a post on X, Katz stated, "Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country. Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil."
"This is a Secretary-General who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organization. A Secretary-General who gives backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran--the mothership of global terror--will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN. Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without Antonio Guterres," he added.
Israel Katz's statement came after the UN Chief issued a statement following Iran's rocket barrage on Israel. Guterres stated, "I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire."
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Iran's missile attack on Israel and expressed concern over the escalating situation in the Middle East.
In his remarks to the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East on October 2, Guterres said, "The raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno. Exactly one week ago, I briefed the Security Council about the alarming situation in Lebanon. Since then, things have gone from bad to much, much worse. As I told the Council last week, the Blue Line has seen tensions for years. But since October, exchanges of fire have expanded in scope, depth, and intensity."
Speaking about Iran's missile attack towards Israel, he said, "Yesterday, Iran launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles towards Israel. It stated it was in response to the killings of Hassan Nasrallah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp commander Abbas Nilforoushan last week, as well as that of the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July."
"Millions of people across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory were forced to seek shelter. One person was killed from the Iranian strikes--a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank. As I did in relation to the Iranian attack in April--and as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed--I again strongly condemn yesterday's massive missile attack by Iran on Israel. These attacks paradoxically do nothing to support the cause of the Palestinian people or reduce their suffering," he added.
The situation in West Asia escalated after Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel on October 1. The United States military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defence Forces to help defend Israel against Iran's missile attack.