Top UN official branded ‘pathetic,’ a ‘collaborator of Hamas’ for saying group is not a terrorist organization
A top United Nations official has been slammed as “pathetic” and a “collaborator of Hamas” after he claimed the group is not a terrorist organization.
Martin Griffiths, the head of the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, was asked Wednesday about the feasibility of Israel’s goal to eliminate Hamas and prevent the terrorist group from continuing to govern the Gaza Strip.
“I’ve worked with many, many different terrorist and insurgent groups,” he told UK’s Sky News in response.
“Hamas is not a terrorist group for us, as you know, it’s a political movement.”
Israeli officials condemned Griffiths’ response, as a clip of his interview spread on social media.
“No wonder he is abusing his power to save Hamas’ skin after the deadliest terror attack since 9/11 instead of demanding its surrender,” government spokesperson Eylon Levy seethed on X.
Israel’s national X account also mocked Griffiths’ remarks, saying Hamas is “a political organization, who from time to time murders, rapes and kidnaps civilians to let off steam.
“What an abomination the UN has become,” it wrote.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan slammed Griffiths, calling him a “collaborator of Hamas.”
“Is the barbaric murder of hundreds of civilians not terrorism? Is systemic rape of women not terrorism? Is attempting to commit genocide not terrorism?” he wrote in Hebrew on X, referring to the events of Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists killed approximately 1,200 people and took 250 civilians hostage.
“This is the face of the UN these days: an organization that whitewashes terrorism, promotes Hamas and blames the victims. The UN has lost all credibility,” Erdan continued.
“Mr. Under-Secretary-General, you cannot say that you are acting in the name of ‘humanitarian affairs.’ You are a collaborator of Hamas!”
Griffiths doubled down on his position after the backlash.
“Just to clarify: Hamas is not on the list of groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council,” he posted on X.
“This doesn’t make their acts of terror on 7 October any less horrific and reprehensible, as I’ve been saying all along.”
His remarks drew ire from Israel and Germany.
“Just to clarify: you’re a Hamas apologist and your statements are an insult to every single victim of October 7,” the official Israel X account posted.
“Pathetic.”
Germany’s foreign ministry also replied: “To make it crystal clear: The [European Union] has listed Hamas as a terrorist organization and so have many others.”
But when asked about Griffiths’ comments on Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres seemingly agreed with the humanitarian chief, saying the “designation for the UN of an entity as a terrorist organization can only be made by the Security Council,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Guterres has long sought to strike a balance between condemning Hamas terrorism and Israeli military action in Gaza.
On Oct. 25, for example, he angered Israelis by saying that the Hamas attack “did not happen in a vacuum,” blaming Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.
But he has also met with the families of Israeli hostages and has repeatedly called the acts of Oct. 7 terrorism.