Massive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, with tens to hundreds of dead, threaten the cease-fire between the US and Iran. António Guterres calls for an immediate de-escalation.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Wednesday that Israeli attacks in Lebanon pose a “serious risk” to the fragile truce between the United States and Iran. He therefore called for the cessation of hostilities. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency and the statement of Guterres.
According to spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres unequivocally condemns Wednesday’s massive attacks by Israel in Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the attacks claimed 183 lives and injured 890. Sky News reports that more than 250 people have died.
“With regard to the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, the ongoing military activity in Lebanon poses a serious risk to this ceasefire and efforts to achieve a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region,” he said in a statement published on the UN website.
It calls for diplomacy
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities. International law, including international humanitarian law, must always be respected, and attacks against civilians and civilian objects are unacceptable, according to Guterres. “There is no military solution to this conflict. The Secretary-General continues to call on all parties to use diplomatic channels and recommit to the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” the spokesman concluded.
On the basis of the aforementioned resolution, the month-long war between the Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah and Israel was ended in 2006. The resolution called for the complete withdrawal of Israel from southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers to be the only armed forces south of the Lítani River.
Israel launched widespread attacks in Lebanon on Wednesday, with the capital Beirut under the heaviest bombardment since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The BBC reports that Israel hit more than 100 targets in ten minutes. Israel claims they were militant command centers. The attacks came after Iran, the US and their allies agreed to a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East war. According to Israel, this ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon. In response to Israeli attacks, Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on northern Israel.
