UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Photo/AP
NEW YORK – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday (15/1/2024) was concerned about the ongoing tensions between Israel and Lebanon. He said another conflict like Gaza should not happen in Lebanon.
“We cannot see in Lebanon what we see in Gaza. And we cannot allow what is happening in Gaza to continue,” Guterres said at a press conference at UN headquarters, reported by Anadolu.
The UN chief said tens of thousands of people in northern Israel and southern Lebanon had been displaced by the fighting and humanitarian access in Lebanon continued to be hampered.
“Stop playing with fire on the Blue Line, de-escalate and end hostilities in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1701,” he stressed.
Tensions have risen along Lebanon’s border with Israel since the Israeli army launched a deadly military offensive in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on October 7.
Recent cross-border firefights between Hezbollah and Israeli forces were the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.
The UN Secretary General also repeated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“The Israeli troop attacks on Gaza over the past 100 days have caused massive destruction and killings of civilians at a level that has never been seen before during my time as Secretary General,” he said.
Emphasizing that most of those killed were women and children, Guterres said, “Nothing can justify collective punishment against the Palestinian people.”
2024-01-16 11:15:01
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