UN Chief Calls Israel's War 'Fundamentally Wrong,' Media Finds Its Spine
Guterres's belated pronouncement that Israel 'destroyed Gaza but not Hamas' and committed 'apparent violations of international humanitarian law' arrives long after over 37,000 Palestinians, overwhelmingly women and children, became statistics (OCHA). This isn't breaking news; Benjamin Netanyahu's government has routinely ignored international outcry, from the targeting of UN schools to the 2014
Gaza war, which also saw calls for war crimes investigations. The 'fundamentally wrong' part has been fundamentally obvious for months to anyone not watching specific cable news channels or funded by pro-Israel PACs. One might wonder if a UN chief's condemnation is enough to move the dial when the US—which provides billions in military aid—continues to shield Israel at the UN Security Council. For
instance, in April 2024, the US vetoed a Security Council resolution for full Palestinian UN membership, claiming it wouldn't foster 'direct negotiations.' How many 'fundamentally wrong' actions does it take until a line is drawn, or do some nations simply operate with diplomatic immunity, while others face immediate sanctions?