UN chief stands by his criticism of Israel for use of force in Jenin

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stands by his condemnation of Israel for the excessive use of force in Jenin, said his deputy spokesman on Friday, reported Xinhua.

At a press encounter at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, Guterres condemned Israel for its excessive use of force in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

Guterres said that he condemned "all acts of violence against civilians." Asked by a reporter to clarify whether his condemnation specifically applied to Israel, Guterres said, "It applies to all use of excessive force, and obviously, in this situation, there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces."

Israel's airstrikes and ground operations in a crowded refugee camp were the worst violence in the West Bank in many years, with a significant impact on civilians, said Guterres.

"I once again call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law, including the duty to exercise restraint and use only proportional force, and the duty to minimize damage and injury and respect and preserve human life. The use of airstrikes is inconsistent with the conduct of law enforcement operations," he said Thursday.

The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, on Thursday called on Guterres to retract his condemnation of Israel. Erdan said Guterres' remarks against Israel were "shameful, far-fetched, and completely detached from reality."

Asked on Friday for Guterres' reaction to Erdan's call, Farhan Haq, Guterres' deputy spokesman, said the secretary-general stands by his views.

"The secretary-general conveyed his views to you in the press stakeout that he held yesterday, and he stands by those views," said Haq. "He clearly condemns all of the violence that has been affecting the civilians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, regardless of who is the perpetrator."