Israel declares UN chief 'persona non grata'

TEL AVIV

Israel declared U.N. chief Antonio Guterres "persona non grata" on Wednesday, accusing him of failing to specifically condemn Iran's missile attack on Israel.

"Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil," said Foreign Minister Israel Katz in a statement.

"This is an anti-Israel Secretary-General who lends support to terrorists, rapists, and murderers," he said.

Katz added that Guterres, who he said supported the "murderers of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran, the mothership of global terror, will be remembered as a stain on the history of the U.N. for generations to come.”

Following Iran's missile attack, Guterres condemned the "broadening conflict in the Middle East,” slamming "escalation after escalation" in the region.

"This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire," said Guterres.

Meanwhile, Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador to condemn Tehran's missile attack on Israel.