United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has rejected accusations by Israel that he justified attacks by Hamas on Israel. Guterres clarified that his statement to the Security Council was misinterpreted and that he was not justifying acts of terror by Hamas. He emphasized the importance of protecting civilians in the Israel-Hamas conflict and condemned the attacks by Hamas, stating that they cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Guterres expressed shock at the misrepresentations and reiterated his unequivocal condemnation of the October 7 Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people.