U.N. chief denounces Israel over ‘acts of terror’ in Jenin attack
UNITED NATIONS — In a rare condemnation of Israel, the United Nations chief on Thursday denounced the country’s excessive use of force in its largest military operation in two decades targeting a refugee camp in the West Bank.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, clearly angered, said Israel’s attack on the Jenin refugee camp had wounded more than 100 civilians, forced thousands to f lee, damaged schools and hospitals, and disrupted water and electricity networks.
He also criticized Israel for preventing the injured from getting medical care and keeping humanitarian workers from reaching everyone in need.
“I strongly condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror,” he told reporters.
Asked whether this condemnation applied to Israel, Guterres replied: “It applies to all use of excessive force, and obviously in this situation, there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces.”
Israel’s two-day offensive, which it said was to crack down on militants, also killed 12 Palestinians and destroyed the camp’s narrow roads and alleyways. One Israeli soldier also was killed.
The U.N. chief called on Israel “to abide by its obligations under international law,” and to exercise restraint and use only proportional force.
“The use of airstrikes is inconsistent with the conduct of law enforcement operations,” he said.
Guterres reminded Israel that “as the occupying power, it has a responsibility to ensure that the civilian population is protected against all acts of violence.”
His condemnation followed a statement by three independent U.N. human rights experts on Wednesday that said the Israeli airstrikes and ground actions were “egregious violations of international law and standards on the use of force and may constitute a war crime.”
The experts, who specialize in human rights in the Palestinian territory, the rights of the internally displaced and violence against women and girls, called for Israel to be held accountable for its illegal occupation and its violence to perpetuate it.
The Israeli army claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on militant groups in the attack on the camp, which ended Wednesday.
Before Israel’s withdrawal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to order more such operations if needed.
The attack followed more than a year of increased Israeli-Palestinian violence. The Jenin camp and an adjacent town of the same name have been a hot spot since the violence began escalating in spring 2022.
The offensive further weakened the Palestinian Authority, Israel’s erstwhile partner in fighting militants. The authority already had little control in the camp.
Guterres said he understood that Israel had legitimate security concerns but added that “escalation is not the answer. It simply bolsters radicalization and leads to a deepening cycle of violence and bloodshed.”
He emphasized that “restoring the hope of the Palestinian people in a meaningful political process, leading to a two-state solution and the end of the occupation, is an essential contribution by Israel to its own security.”
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East War. The Palestinians have sought those territories for an independent state — a goal supported by the U.N. and many countries around the world.