Israel accused U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of spreading a “modern blood libel” over his call for an independent investigation into reports of mass graves near a Gaza hospital.

Israel and the United Nations have been at odds since the beginning of the war in Gaza, with Israeli officials repeatedly clashing with Guterres and other U.N. figures over its response to the conflict. The Israeli Foreign Ministry upped the ante on Thursday, invoking a medieval trope accusing Jews of ritually sacrificing Christian children to use their blood in cooking.

“Choosing to inflame hatred and push fake news in a volatile and tense situation is irresponsible and dangerous,” the ministry said in a post on X. “The bodies you are referencing were buried by Palestinians. We searched for the bodies of Israeli hostages, examined the bodies and returned them to their place.”

“The modern day blood libel that you are spreading is a complete and total fabrication and is an insult to the families of Israeli hostages who are in immense pain as they wait for news about their loved ones,” it added.

The post was in response to a video address and message from Guterres, in which he demanded immediate international access to the gravesites.

“I am deeply alarmed by reports of mass graves in Gaza,” he said. “Independent investigators must be allowed immediate access. The families of the dead have a right to know what happened. The world has a right to accountability for any violations of int’l law that may have taken place.”

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The dispute is over recent claims by Gaza authorities claiming to have uncovered multiple mass graves near Gaza hospital complexes containing hundreds of bodies. It was not clear how or when the people in them had died. A flurry of contradictory information has since been exchanged by Gazan and Israeli authorities, with Israel maintaining it had no role in their deaths or burials.

The White House expressed its wish to allow the conduct of an independent investigation, something Israel opposes.