World Should Not Be Intimidated by Israel: UN Chief

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community not to be intimidated by Israel’s threats, especially as the country moves toward annexing more of the occupied West Bank. Speaking in an interview with AFP from UN headquarters in New York, Guterres said that global recognition of a Palestinian state must not be stopped by fear of Israeli retaliation.

Guterres made these remarks just ahead of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, where at least 10 countries are expected to recognize Palestine as an independent state, despite strong objections from Israel. He stressed that the world must continue its efforts regardless of threats, saying that the actions of the Israeli government would likely continue with or without international recognition of Palestine. By moving forward, he said, the global community has a chance to apply pressure to stop further aggression.

He also condemned the situation in Gaza, calling it one of the worst humanitarian crises he has witnessed in his lifetime. He described mass suffering, extreme food shortages, the collapse of health services, and families living in overcrowded, unsafe shelters. Israel has threatened to use “unprecedented force” in Gaza City as the conflict intensifies.

Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, recently renewed calls to annex large parts of the West Bank, stating that the goal is to permanently end any possibility of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, the United States, while a key ally of Israel, has not criticized these statements and has opposed the recognition of Palestine by other countries.

In the same interview, Guterres raised serious concerns about the global fight against climate change. He warned that efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels are in danger of falling apart. Countries that signed the 2015 Paris Agreement have yet to submit updated climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), for 2035.

According to Guterres, this delay, driven by geopolitical tensions and economic competition, is putting the world at risk. He emphasized that countries must submit climate plans that cover their full economies and include significant cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. Without this, the 1.5-degree goal will be lost.

He added that global warming has already reached 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and many scientists expect the 1.5-degree mark could be crossed within the next few years unless drastic action is taken.

Guterres is hoping that the climate summit in New York, co-chaired with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, will help reinvigorate international efforts ahead of the COP30 conference in Brazil.

Guterres concluded by saying that while the situation is serious, it is not time to panic. Instead, he called for determined, urgent pressure on countries to act before the climate crisis becomes irreversible.