Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, announced that Israel will refuse visas to United Nations officials in response to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s speech criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza. Guterres indirectly criticized Israel for ordering civilians to evacuate from northern to southern Gaza and said Hamas' attacks on Israel did not happen "in a vacuum" as Palestinians have faced 56 years of occupation. Israeli Foreign Minister canceled a meeting with Guterres in response. UN Secretary-General posted on Twitter defending his speech as criticizing both Hamas attacks and Israel's collective punishment of Palestinians.