UN chief: The World Must not be 'Intimidated' by Israel

Erbil (Kurdistan24) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres declared on Friday that the international community must not be “intimidated” by Israel as it pursues a devastating war in Gaza and presses what he described as a “creeping annexation” of the West Bank. His remarks came amid heightened diplomatic tension, including Israel’s reported threats to formally annex the occupied territory should Western nations move ahead with recognizing a Palestinian state at next week’s high-level UN gathering in New York.

Speaking to AFP, Guterres urged global actors not to be deterred by Israel’s warnings, insisting that such measures would continue regardless of international recognition of Palestinian statehood. “We should not feel intimidated by the risk of retaliation, because with or without doing what we are doing, these actions would go on,” he said. “At least there is a chance to mobilize the international community to put pressure for them not to happen.”

The UN chief described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as unparalleled in its scale and suffering. “It is the worst level of death and destruction that I’ve seen in my time as secretary-general, probably in my life,” he stated. “The suffering of the Palestinian people cannot be described—famine, total lack of effective health care, people living without adequate shelters in huge concentration areas.”

Guterres refrained from characterizing Israel’s actions as “genocide,” stressing that such a legal determination is beyond his mandate. “The problem is not the word. The problem is the reality on the ground,” he underlined.

Israel launched a fresh ground assault in Gaza earlier this week, urging civilians to move south. Yet, many Palestinians reported being unable to afford the journey or uncertain of where to seek refuge. Guterres linked these operations to what he sees as a broader strategy. “There has been a constant progress of the measures of the Israeli government in order to now completely destroy Gaza and have a creeping annexation in the West Bank,” he said.

The secretary-general’s remarks follow a string of international condemnations after Israel’s unprecedented September 9 airstrike on Doha, which killed at least six people and rattled global diplomacy. The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session, with senior officials describing the attack as a “shocking act” that risked escalating the Middle East conflict.

Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, warned that striking Qatari territory during ongoing ceasefire negotiations undermined mediation efforts. “Any action that weakens dialogue is a blow to peace,” she said, underscoring Qatar’s central role in brokering ceasefire talks alongside Egypt and the United States.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi accused Israel of “arrogance” and of obstructing all peace initiatives, while Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia questioned whether any capital in the world might next be targeted. Arab and Gulf states, including Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE, voiced strong solidarity with Qatar, calling the strike an assault on regional sovereignty and a dangerous precedent.

In a phone call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Guterres condemned the attack as a blatant violation of sovereignty and warned that such escalations threatened to derail ceasefire efforts and hostage negotiations.

The UN chief emphasized that lasting solutions in Gaza and the wider region would not come through further violence but through diplomacy and restraint. “The problem is the reality on the ground,” he repeated, insisting that the global community must press for a halt to Israel’s military campaign and creeping annexation policies.

His remarks highlight the mounting urgency for decisive international engagement, as Israel’s actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and beyond increasingly threaten to destabilize not only the Middle East but also the credibility of international law itself.