UN chief won't be intimidated by Israel, sees 'creeping' W.Bank annexation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told AFP Friday that the world should not be "intimidated" by Israel as it presses its devastating Gaza war and pursues a "creeping" West Bank occupation.

Israel has reportedly threatened to annex the West Bank if Western nations press ahead with recognizing a Palestinian state at next week's UN high-level gathering in New York.

"We should not feel intimidated by the risk of retaliation, because with or without doing what we are doing, these actions would go on and at least there is a chance to mobilize international community to put pressure for them not to happen," he said.

"I don't think we are talking about retaliation in relation to this or that. There has been a constant progress of the measures of the Israeli government in order to now completely destroy Gaza and have a creeping annexation in the West Bank."

Guterres has led calls for Israel to hold back from its fierce campaign in Gaza and to back off from the "unprecedented" assault it has threatened on Gaza City.

"It is the worst level of death and destruction that I've seen my time as secretary general, probably my life and the suffering of the Palestinian people cannot be described -- famine, total lack of effective health care, people living without adequate shelters in huge concentration areas."

The UN chief has nonetheless held off characterizing Israel's conduct in Gaza as a "genocide," even as UN organs have used the phrasing which Israel bitterly contests.

"The problem is that it's not in my functions to do the legal determination of genocide," he said.

"It's not in my power. But let's be clear, the problem is not the word. The problem is the reality on the ground."

In Gaza this week, Israel's military launched its ground assault on Tuesday and has for days been telling residents to head south, but many Palestinians say the journey is prohibitively expensive and they do not know where to go.

AFP