Israel accuses UN chief of justifying terrorism for saying Hamas attack ‘didn’t happen in a vacuum’

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. / AP

Israeli officials expressed outrage Wednesday over U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ remarks that the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel “did not happen in a vacuum,” saying his comment at a Security Council meeting amounted to a justification for terrorism.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen canceled a scheduled meeting with Guterres following Tuesday’s council meeting, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan called for Guterres’ resignation, and Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, said the U.N. chief “failed the test.”

Guterres responded to the Israeli criticism, telling reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that he was “shocked” at the misinterpretation of part of his statement to the council,…