UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said yesterday that he is profoundly concerned by escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and said that UN peacekeepers are working to calm the situation and prevent miscalculation. “One rash move—one miscalculation—could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination,” he told reporters at the UN. “Let’s be clear: The people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.”
“The parties must urgently recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 and immediately return to a cessation of hostilities,” Guterres said. “UN peacekeepers are on the ground working to de-escalate tensions and help prevent miscalculation,” Guterres said. “The world must say loudly and clearly: immediate de-escalation is not only possible—it is essential. There is no military solution.”
