UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning that ongoing Israeli military strikes on Lebanon pose a “grave risk” to the recently agreed ceasefire between the United States and Iran, highlighting fears of a broader regional escalation.
In a statement delivered by his spokesperson late Wednesday, Guterres expressed deep concern over intensifying violence in Lebanon, stressing that the situation could derail fragile diplomatic efforts aimed at securing lasting peace in the Middle East. He called on all parties to immediately halt hostilities and prioritise dialogue over confrontation.
The warning comes amid a sharp surge in casualties, with Lebanon’s health authorities reporting at least 254 people killed and nearly 900 others injured following a wave of Israeli airstrikes. The capital, Beirut, endured some of the heaviest bombardment since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated.
Lebanon’s involvement in the conflict followed retaliatory actions by Hezbollah, which launched attacks on Israel in response to the ongoing US-Israel confrontation with Iran. Although Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire earlier this week, Israel has maintained that operations in Lebanon fall outside the scope of that arrangement.
According to AFP, tensions have continued to mount, with Hezbollah confirming fresh rocket fire into Israeli territory, while senior Iranian figure Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signalled that the ceasefire could come under strain if hostilities persist.
Guterres strongly condemned the mounting civilian casualties, describing the human toll as deeply alarming. He reiterated that there is no military solution to the crisis and urged all stakeholders to utilise diplomatic channels to de-escalate the situation.
Separately, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and the International Committee of the Red Cross denounced the scale of destruction in Lebanon, characterising the violence as “nothing short of horrific”. Turk said the intensity of the attacks so soon after the ceasefire announcement “defies belief”.
International concern is also mounting beyond the UN. Emmanuel Macron has called for Lebanon to be formally included in the ceasefire framework, warning that excluding the country risks prolonging instability across the region.
As diplomatic pressure builds, the latest developments underscore the fragility of the US-Iran truce and the urgent need for a broader, inclusive ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and a potential widening of the conflict.
