Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has accused the United Nations (UN) of hypocrisy as his country faces international criticism for its war tactics in Gaza. Israel has taken the controversial decision to not renew the visa of a UN staff member and will also deny the visa request of another UN employee. This move comes as Israel expresses its displeasure with the UN’s criticism of Israel’s targeting of civilians and hospitals during the Gaza war. The majority of the more than 20,000 Palestinians killed in the conflict are civilians.
In a statement posted on Monday, Cohen stated, “We will stop working with those who cooperate with the Hamas terrorist organization’s propaganda. We will no longer remain silent in the face of the UN’s hypocrisy!” Israel has long accused the UN of bias against them. Cohen described the UN’s conduct as “a disgrace” since the war erupted on October 7 after Hamas carried out deadly attacks inside Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths.
The UN has condemned Hamas for the October 7 attacks and has repeatedly called for the release of captives taken by the group. However, UN officials have also criticized Israel’s targeting of residential areas, schools, hospitals, and its restrictions on aid deliveries during the complete siege imposed on Gaza following the attacks. Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of over 100 journalists, about 270 medical personnel, and at least 134 UN staff members. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has continuously called for a ceasefire and highlighted the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted for a humanitarian ceasefire multiple times since the war began. However, votes at the UN Security Council have been vetoed and stalled by Israel’s close ally, the United States. Israel abstained from the latest resolution vote, allowing it to pass on Friday, but the measure has been criticized as “insufficient.” The Israeli foreign minister accused the UN chief, the UN human rights commissioner, and the UN Women agency of legitimizing “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” publishing “unsubstantiated blood libels,” and ignoring the “acts of rape committed against Israeli women” for two months.
While Israel has voiced its criticism of the UN, human rights organizations have also condemned Israel for its war tactics, labeling it as “collective punishment” of Gaza’s 2.3 million people. Media reports have debunked Israeli claims that Hamas ran a command center under al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, which was damaged by Israeli airstrikes. Israel has justified attacks on UN schools, universities, and hospitals, claiming that they were used by Hamas, but it has provided no evidence to support these claims.
This recent incident is part of a series of clashes between Israel and the UN over the war in Gaza, which is unusual for member states. Israel previously announced the revocation of the residence visa of Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories. Israel’s decision came after Hastings criticized Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries, stating that the conditions required to deliver aid to Gaza do not exist. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, had also warned that his country would refuse visas to UN officials after Guterres criticized Israel for ordering civilians to evacuate from northern Gaza to southern Gaza.
In addition to denying visas, Israel has instructed its mission to the UN to oppose the advancement of the annual budget of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The agency has repeatedly warned that aid work in Gaza is at a breaking point due to the ongoing Israeli siege. Israel imposed a total siege following the October 7 attacks, cutting off essential resources like electricity, water, and food. UNRWA has sheltered about 1.2 million civilians, two-thirds of all displaced people in Gaza, across its facilities in the strip. Since the war began, over 100 UNRWA staff members have been killed, and more than 40 of the agency’s buildings in Gaza have been damaged by Israeli airstrikes.
Israel has also targeted Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, and World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Both have criticized Israel for violating international laws and occupying Palestinian territories. However, Israel has not provided proof to support its claims. Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, expressed disappointment with the global body, stating that its agency chiefs had not done enough to condemn Hamas and growing anti-Semitism.
UN Secretary-General Guterres has reiterated that while the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify Hamas’ appalling attacks, those attacks also cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with a dire humanitarian crisis and ongoing tensions between Israel and the UN.
