UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that "the 7th of October is a day of pain for Israel and the world" in a post on X marking the six-month anniversary of the October 7th massacre on Sunday morning.
The 7th of October is a day of pain for Israel and the world.Nothing can justify the horror unleashed by Hamas.I once again condemn the use of sexual violence, torture & kidnapping of civilians, and call for the unconditional release of all the hostages. pic.twitter.com/xdHmDIsxyy
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 6, 2024
"The United Nations and I personally mourn with Israelis for the 1,200 people, including many women and children, who were killed in cold blood," said Guterres. "Nothing can justify the horror unleashed by Hamas on October 7th."
The UN secretary general added that he condemns "the use of sexual violence, torture, injuring, and kidnapping of civilians, the firing of rockets towards civilian targets, and the use of human shields" and called for the "unconditional release of all the hostages."
Guterres has consistently disappointed with his responses to the ongoing war
Guterres has come under fire repeatedly throughout the war for his focus on condemning Israel and for comments concerning the October 7 massacre, including remarks made just two weeks after the massacre in which he stressed that the attack "did not happen in a vacuum."
Guteress also failed to comment on reports of sexual violence committed by Hamas for over a month. After a month of the war, he stated, "There are numerous accounts of sexual violence during the abhorrent acts of terror by Hamas on October 7 that must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted," in a post on X. The UN subsequently opened an inquiry on war crimes with a focus on sexual violence committed by both sides.