dpa
New York
UN Secretary General António Guterres has again called for an urgent ceasefire in the Middle East, as Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Beirut.
“War in Lebanon could lead to further escalation involving outside powers,” Guterres told the UN Security Council in New York on Friday.
He called for a temporary ceasefire to allow for the delivery of humanitarian relief and the resumption of peace negotiations.
“We need this ceasefire now. We cannot afford endless negotiations, as we have on Gaza,” he told the meeting.
“We must avoid a regional war at all costs. Gaza remains the epicentre of the violence. And Gaza is key to ending it.” Guterres said international humanitarian law and civilians must be respected.
“The death spiral must end - for Gaza, for the people of Palestine and Israel, for the region, and for the world,” Guterres said.
“And there must finally be accountability. The key to peace in the region is a political solution.” Guterres’ speech came as fighting intensified between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia, with the death toll rising above 750 following a week of Israeli airstrikes. Guterres has repeatedly criticized the conduct of the Israeli military in Gaza, and has said he now fears a similar approach in Lebanon.
The Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza puts the death toll after nearly a year of Israeli attacks at more than 40,000. The figure does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
Earlier, the UNchief sharply criticized the powerful but deeply divided Security Council at a high-level meeting Wednesday for a failure of leadership to end wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond.
“Peace demands action. And peace demands leadership,” Guterres told the 15-member council charged with ensuring international peace and security.
