UN Chief Criticizes Israel's Gaza Operations as "Fundamentally Wrong"

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has sharply criticized Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, describing them as "fundamentally wrong" due to the high civilian death toll and extensive destruction. In an interview at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on December 3, 2025, Guterres suggested there are strong reasons to believe that Israeli forces may have committed war crimes.

"I think there was something fundamentally wrong in the way this operation was conducted with total neglect in relation to the deaths of civilians and to the destruction of Gaza," Guterres stated. He emphasized that despite the devastation, the objective to destroy Hamas has not been achieved. "The objective was to destroy Hamas. Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this is conducted," he added.

The conflict in Gaza escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a significant attack on southern Israel, resulting in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and the capture of 251 hostages. In retaliation, Israel initiated a comprehensive military campaign in Gaza, leading to widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis. As of December 2025, reports indicate that more than 70,000 people have died in Gaza since the onset of the conflict.

In response to Guterres's remarks, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused the Secretary-General of bias and criticized him for not visiting Israel. "The only crime committed is the moral abomination that more than two years after the horrific massacres of October 7, the UN secretary-general has still not visited Israel," Danon stated.

A fragile ceasefire, brokered by the United States, has been in place since October 10, 2025. However, violations have occurred, with both sides accusing each other of breaching the agreement. Israeli airstrikes in response to Hamas attacks have resulted in additional casualties, further complicating the humanitarian situation. Reports indicate that over 360 Palestinians have died since the truce began, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting more than 70,100 deaths since the war began.

Guterres also highlighted the humanitarian challenges, noting that while the United States had facilitated some aid delivery, significant obstacles remained due to Israeli restrictions and lawlessness in the region. "They have leverage that, of course, we [the UN] do not," he said, referring to the U.S. efforts. "There is an excellent cooperation in the humanitarian aid between the UN and the US, and I hope that this will be maintained and developed," he added.

The sharp exchange between the UN Secretary-General and Israel's UN Ambassador underscores the ongoing tensions between Israel and the United Nations regarding the conduct and consequences of the Gaza conflict. As the humanitarian crisis worsens, the international community faces mounting pressure to address the allegations of misconduct and to work towards a sustainable resolution to the conflict.