Israel counters UN official's genocide allegation in Gaza with fundamental inquiries
Hottest Newsflash: May 16 on our website
Dive into the latest buzzing headlines floating around Foxnews.com!
EXCLUSIVE - Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, straight up blasts a U.N. official for some controversial remarks that he believes make a laughing stock of impartiality.
On May 16, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher hurled accusations against Israel, alleging that they're committing genocide. Fletcher vented his frustrations before the U.N. Security Council.
"Israel is deliberately and shamelessly imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians in the Occupied Territory," Fletcher ranted at the Security Council on the 16th. He added that most of Gaza is either under Israeli military control or under displacement orders.
Palestinians make a beeline for safer grounds, lugging their belongings behind them after Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip on May 16, 2025 (REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)
*ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER DENOUNCES UN AS A "ROTTEN, ANTI-ISRAEL, AND ANTISEMITIC BODY"*
Fletcher oversees the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In addition to slamming Israel, he shed light on the struggles Gazans are facing due to a lack of resources. Aid trucks have been banned from entering the Gaza Strip for 10 long weeks. Hospitals are overflowing, and people are teetering on the edge of famine and starvation.
"For those who perished and those who remain unheard: what more proof do you need now? Will you act decisively to prevent genocide and uphold international humanitarian law? Or will you say that 'we did all we could'?", Fletcher questioned.
READ THE LETTER - *APP USERS, CLICK HERE:*
*TRUMP'S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS UN AGENCY CAN BE SUED FOR OCT. 7 ATTACKS, BUCKING BIDEN-ERA STANCE*
While Fletcher's remarks primarily revolved around Gaza, he also slammed the "appalling violence" escalating in the West Bank. The very next day, May 14, a pregnant Israeli woman was gunned down in a shooting attack while en route to the hospital to give birth. Tzeela Gez sadly lost her life, but the baby was miraculously saved by doctors, who reported that the child is currently in critical but stable condition (Associated Press).
In retaliation, Danon referred to Fletcher's remarks as "shocking and disturbing," calling them "an utterly inappropriate and deeply irresponsible statement that has shattered any notion of neutrality".
"You had the gall, in your capacity as a senior U.N. official, to stand before the Security Council and invoke the genocide charge without evidence, mandate, or restraint," Danon fumed in his letter. "As a senior UN representative, you are obligated to refrain from prejudging complex international matters. Yet, that's precisely what you did before the Council. You didn't brief the Council; you delivered a political sermon."
Upon our website Digital's request for comment, OCHA spokesperson Eri Kaneko stated that "As Mr. Fletcher made clear in his Security Council remarks, it is for legal bodies to consider whether a genocide is taking place - Mr. Fletcher's point is that the world must take decisive action to prevent genocide and ensure respect for international humanitarian law."
Kaneko was also asked whether Fletcher accused Israel of deliberately killing and harming civilians. Kaneko responded that Fletcher's words speak for themselves, as "not a single civilian in Gaza - teachers, artists, merchants, aid workers, hostages - has escaped unscathed."
Danon posed some tough questions to Fletcher, wondering who gave him the authority to issue the accusation, and whether Fletcher had done enough to prevent the October 7 attack, speed up the release of hostages, and hold Hamas accountable.
Kaneko shared that "Mr. Fletcher has publicly spoken out against Hamas-led attacks and called for the release of hostages. Mr. Fletcher was deeply affected by his February visit to Nir Oz kibbutz, where one out of every four people were killed or taken hostage."
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for our website Digital and FOX Business.
- The latest General News covers the heated exchange between Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon and the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher regarding the escalating war-and-conflicts in Gaza and West Bank.
- Crime-and-justice reports reveal the ongoing controversy following Fletcher's accusations of genocide against Israel and Danny Danon's denunciation of the United Nations for alleged anti-Israel and antisemitic bias.
