'Grief can't be an excuse': Peace activist who lost parents on Oct. 7 criticizes Israel at UNSC

Israeli peace activist Maoz Inon, whose parents were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack, addressed the UN Security Council on Monday, criticizing the Israeli government for using the attack to wage a "war of revenge." Inon called for peace efforts, stating that grief should not be an excuse for war. The meeting reviewed UN Resolution 2334 on settlement construction, with several countries criticizing Israeli settlement expansion.

Israeli peace activist Maoz Inon, whose parents Bilha and Yaakov Inon were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, delivered an unusual address to the UN Security Council on Monday. Inon criticized the Israeli government for using the attack to wage what he called a "devastating war of revenge," arguing that grief should not be an excuse for war. He called for efforts to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace. The meeting focused on the periodic report on UN Security Council Resolution 2334 from 2016, which calls for an end to settlement construction. The report, presented by UN acting coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov, included accusations against Israel over settlement expansion, demolitions, and displacement of Palestinians. Representatives from the UK, France, China, Russia, and other countries criticized settlement expansion and the E1 plan. Israel's deputy UN envoy Noa Furman expressed condolences to Inon but criticized the Security Council for not designating Hamas as a terrorist organization, arguing that the fundamental obstacle to peace is the absence of a Palestinian partner committed to it.