It’s time to stop Lebanon from becoming another Gaza, UN boss warns
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the world to prevent Lebanon from becoming another Gaza, amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
In an interview with Arab News, Guterres emphasized that “the world must not allow Lebanon to become another Gaza.”
The situation remains dire, with 37 deaths and over 3,000 injuries resulting from pager and walkie-talkie attacks across Lebanon, followed by exchanges of fire across the Lebanese border.
Guterres stressed the need to avoid an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah “at all costs.” He highlighted the growing conscience that it’s time to stop the war, not just in Gaza but in general.
The UN chief acknowledged that the Gaza conflict has surpassed expectations in terms of its length and destruction. Guterres reiterated his vigorous condemnation of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 but emphasized that “this can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Regarding the UN’s role, Guterres noted that responsibility lies with those who initiated the conflict. He stated that the UN has consistently called for ceasefires and humanitarian aid since the beginning of the hostilities but admitted that “it’s impossible to convince those who do not want to be convinced.”
Guterres advocated for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing, “There is no humanitarian solution for humanitarian problems. The solution is always political. That is why we need to stop the war.”
