UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ recent tweet once again highlights his disconnection from the realities on the ground. For 11 months, since the October 7 massacre, Hezbollah—a terrorist organization operating out of Lebanon—has been launching rockets, UAVs, and mortar shells at Israeli civilians. Innocent families have been living under the constant threat of attack, yet the UN Secretary-General remained silent throughout this relentless aggression.
However, as soon as Israel launched Operation Northern Arrows in defense of its citizens, Guterres suddenly found his voice, condemning Israel’s defensive actions while ignoring the ongoing terrorism from Hezbollah. It’s astonishing that it took Israeli action for him to “wake up” and realize there is a war on Israel’s northern border. Where was this concern during months of unprovoked attacks on Israeli civilians?
Guterres’ tweet claiming that “Lebanon is at the brink” and warning that Lebanon could become “another Gaza” misses the point entirely. Hezbollah is the one dragging Lebanon to the edge, using Lebanese soil as a launchpad for terrorism. Instead of condemning Israel, which is defending its people, the UN should be calling out Hezbollah’s war crimes and Iran’s role in supplying and backing this terror group.
The fact that Guterres consistently downplays or ignores Hezbollah’s provocations while blaming Israel for defending its own civilians reveals a troubling bias. His failure to hold Hezbollah accountable emboldens terrorism and does nothing to protect the very civilians he claims to care about—both in Lebanon and Israel.
Israel, like any sovereign nation, has the right to defend its citizens from terrorist attacks. The UN’s selective outrage and inability to address the real aggressor—Hezbollah—only exacerbates the conflict and does nothing to secure peace. It’s time for the international community to recognize that Hezbollah is the one threatening regional stability, not Israel’s efforts to protect its people.
