Israel has said it is time to “teach the UN a lesson” amid an escalating row over the UN secretary-general’s remarks about the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas.

“Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson,” Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres had said Hamas’s attacks, which killed 1,400 Israelis, did not happen “in a vaccum” and it was “important to recognise” Palestinians had been subject to 56 years of “suffocating occupation”.

He added that the grievances Palestinians people cannot justify "the horrifying and unprecedentedacts of terror" by Hamas in Israel but that "those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

Israel immediately called for called for his resignation over the “shocking” and “horrible” remarks.

“The UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN. I call on him to resign immediately,” Mr Erdan said.

Key Points

• Israel calls for UN chief’s resignation

• Aid workers could be forced to stop work due to fuel blockade, UN warns

• Eight Syrian military personnel killed in Israeli airstrike, Syria claims

• Israeli drone strike in West Bank ‘kills three Palestinians’

• Air raids in Gaza 'kill more than 700’ in 24 hours

Israel calls for UN chief’s resignation

08:15 , Alexander Butler

Israel has called for the resignation of the United Nations’ secretary-general after it slammed his “shocking” and “horrible” remarks about the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas.

“The UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN. I call on him to resign immediately,” Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said.

Secretary-general Antonio Guterres had said it was “important to recognise” Hamas’s attacks, which killed 1,400 Israelis, did not happen “in a vacuum” and that Palestinians had been subject to 56 years of “suffocating occupation”.

Meanwhile, Israel has also refused a visa to UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths due to comments made at the UN by secretary-general António Guterres.

“Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson,” Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said.