A United Nations hearing on the plight of children affected by the Gaza conflict erupted into a heated confrontation on Friday, with Israel’s ambassador accusing the UN leadership of unfairly targeting the country.The tense exchange unfolded at UN headquarters in New York during an event marking the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Israeli ambassador Danny Danon used the forum to attack recent UN reports that have placed Israel on global blacklists over alleged violations involving children and conflict-related sexual violence.Addressing the gathering, Danon called for the resignation of Pramila Patten, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, whose office last month added Israel to a blacklist for alleged conflict-related sexual violence violations for the first time.“You caved to the secretary-general’s obsession with targeting Israel,” Danon said, directing his criticism at UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The remarks drew an immediate interruption from Vanessa Frazier, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict, who raised a point of order and objected to what she described as personal attacks against UN officials.Frazier defended the findings of her office, insisting they were based on “verified evidence.”The disagreement quickly escalated into a shouting match.“We are a member state, and you work for the UN, and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet … you and your shameful report,” Danon responded.Frazier’s office this week released a report warning that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for grave violations against children. The report accompanied Guterres’ warning of a “staggering” increase in violations affecting Palestinian children amid the ongoing conflict. Both the children and sexual violence reports also include Hamas among parties accused of violations, Reuters reported.Israel already appears in the report’s so-called “list of shame” annexes, which identify parties accused of committing serious violations against children in armed conflicts.The latest clash is part of a broader deterioration in relations between Israel and the United Nations. Following the publication of Patten’s report last month, Danon described the findings as “a new low,” while Israel’s foreign ministry announced plans to sever ties with Guterres before his term ends later this year.
