United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said he is “shocked” by what he called “misrepresentations” of his remarks a day earlier on Hamas that infuriated Israel.

“I am shocked by misrepresentations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council — as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas,” Guterres told reporters.

During a UN Security Council session yesterday, the UN chief had said attacks by Hamas on Israel did not occur in a “vacuum”. Subsequently, Israel called for Guterres to resign and refused to hold a meeting with the UN.