TEL AVIV, December 7. /TASS/. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen criticized the address of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the UN Security Council demanding to discuss a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. According to Cohen, Guterres’ activity as a Secretary General threatens peace on the planet, and his remarks equal to support of Palestinian radicals from the Hamas movement.

"Guterres’ tenure is a danger to world peace. His request to activate [UN Charter] Article 99 and the call for a cease fire in Gaza constitutes support of the Hamas terrorist organization and an endorsement of the murder of the elderly, the abduction of babies and the rape of women," Cohen claimed on his X page. "Anyone who supports world peace must support the liberation of Gaza from Hamas."

Previously, Guterres stated that a humanitarian ceasefire must be established to make it possible to restore means of survival and to safely and timely deliver humanitarian aid. According to the Secretary General’s office, it was the first time that Guterres sent a letter to the UN Security Council chair, invoking Article 99, which says that the Secretary General may "bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security."