Israel’s former ambassador to UN calls Palestinians 'inhuman animals'

LONDON (AA) - Former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman described Palestinians as "horrible, inhuman animals” in a TV interview this week, saying he is "puzzled" by the concern over their fate in the ongoing Israeli war amid a tightened blockade on Gaza.

Gillerman made the remarks during an interview with Britain’s Sky News channel when he was asked to comment on the UN’s concerns over Israel’s "collective punishment" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip through a blockade and the cutting off of fuel.

In reply, he said “I am very puzzled by the constant concern which the world is showing for the Palestinian people and is actually showing for these horrible, inhuman animals who have done the worst atrocities that this century has seen,” referring to the Palestinian group Hamas’s Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel.

“I don’t remember people shedding tears for the Taliban,” he added.

His statements came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over “the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza,” stressing that the attacks by Hamas "cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

Guterres called for an immediate cease-fire, while the UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution to end the ongoing escalation.

Nearly 8,500 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,028 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.