UN secretary-general accused of showing 'an understanding for terrorism and murder' committed by Hamas

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres found himself in hot water Tuesday after appearing to express sympathy for Hamas terrorists and their attack on Israel.

During a speech at the U.N. Security Council, Guterres demanded a ceasefire in Gaza, talking out of both sides of his mouth. Immediately before declaring that "the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas," Guterres appeared to do exactly that.

U.N. chief calls for a cease-fire as Israel-Hamas war continueswww.youtube.com

"It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," Guterres said.

"The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," he added. "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 sympathetic comments received a forceful response from Gilad Erdan, Israel's permanent representative to the U.N.

In a statement, Erdan directly accused Guterres of expressing "an understanding for terrorism and murder."

"The shocking speech by [Guterres] at the Security Council meeting, while rockets are being fired at all of Israel, proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the Secretary-General is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner," Erdan said.

Gilad Erdan (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

In a follow-up statement, Erdan said Guterres' speech showed "understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly" and, therefore, concluded he "is not fit to lead the U.N."

"I call on him to resign immediately," Erdan said. "There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words."

Just as problematic, Guterres' demand for a ceasefire failed to acknowledge the reality of the situation for Israel: unless Hamas is defeated, the terrorist organization will continue to attack Israel.

The ceasefire, then, will effectively apply only to Israel.

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