UN chief stands by his condemnation of deadly Israeli raids on Jenin

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will not withdraw his condemnation of the deadly Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank City of Jenin, said a spokesperson on Monday.

Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan called on Guterres last week to retract his condemnation of Israel's excessive use of force.

"It is not the first time in history, even in recent history that a secretary general and this Secretary General has made a statement in which certain member states have asked them to withdraw and he has not," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "He's just stating what his opinion is."

Last week, Guterres strongly condemned Israeli violence and its excessive use of force in Jenin.

"I strongly condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror,” he said.

Asked by Anadolu to clarify if this condemnation applies to Israel, he said: "It applies to all use of excessive force, and obviously in this situation, there was an excessive force used by Israeli forces."

The Israeli army withdrew from Jenin last Wednesday, concluding its largest military operation in the city in more than 20 years.

At least 12 Palestinians were killed, including five children, and more than 140 injured in the offensive, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The raid, which started Monday, also left a massive trail of destruction across the West Bank city, with dozens of homes, vehicles, shops and utility lines destroyed.