Israel's foreign minister has announced thatUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been banned from entering the country because he had not 'unequivocally' condemned Iran's recent missile attack on Israel.
On Wednesday, foreign minister Israel Katz that he was barring the United Nations secretary-general from entering Israel, accusing him of being biased against the country after Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at the country.
Many were intercepted mid-air but some penetrated missile defences, but no casualties were reported.
In a brief statement in the wake of Tuesday's attack, Guterres issued a brief statement referencing only the "latest attacks in the Middle East" and condemning the conflict "with escalation after escalation".
'Persona non grata'
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel had sent troops into southern Lebanon, marking an escalation in hostilities between the Jewish state and Iran's proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah.
Katz said Guterres' failure to call out Iran made him persona non grata in Israel.
"Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel – as nearly all the countries of the world have done – does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil," Katz said.
"Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without Antonio Guterres".
Strikes in Gaza, incursion in Lebanon
The move deepens an already wide rift between Israel and the United Nations and comes as Israeli strikes killed at least 51 people in southern Gaza overnight, including women and children, as the military launched ground operations in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Separately, Hezbollah has said its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in the Lebanese border town of Odaisseh, forcing them to retreat.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military or independent confirmation of the fighting, which marks the first ground combat since Israeli troops crossed the border this week.
The Israeli military warned residents to evacuate a further 24 villages in southern Lebanon after making a similar announcement the day before.
Hundreds of thousands have already fled their homes as the conflict has intensified.
