Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz said he was barring U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country because he had not "unequivocally" condemned Iran's missile attack on Israel.
The Israeli FM said Guterres' failure to call out Iran made him persona non grata in Israel.
"Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel, as nearly all the countries of the world have done, does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil. Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without Antonio Guterres," Katz said.
The U.N. Secretary-General on Tuesday issued a brief statement after the missile attack condemning "the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation."
"I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire," Guterres said.
Iran fired a number of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday amid an escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
