UN chief calls for end of 'violence' on Lebanon, ceasefire in Gaza
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The UN chief has called for an immediate halt to the aggression on Beirut and a ceasefire in Gaza, amid escalating violence in the region without naming who is behind it.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, on September 24, 2024. (AP)
The UN Secretary-General voiced serious concern on Monday regarding the "dramatic escalation" of violence in Lebanon over the past 24 hours, urging for an end to "conflicts" in the Middle East, as reported by Anadolu Agency.
“This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink,” Antonio Guterres said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric. He cautioned that an "all-out war" would have catastrophic repercussions not only for Lebanon and "Israel" but also for the broader region.
The secretary-general urged all parties to fully implement Security Council resolution 1701, which calls for a “cessation of hostilities.” He also reiterated “his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held there.”
His statements, in which he does not mention the perpetrator, come amid "Israel's" ongoing aggression on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this week, the secretary-general made another similar statement, calling for the cessation of aggression on Lebanon, stressing that "the world cannot allow Lebanon to become another Gaza, stressing that "an all-out war must be avoided at all costs."
He called for an immediate halt to what he dubbed "hostilities" and urged all parties to take concrete steps toward implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701.
Despite his repeated statements, "Israel" continued its aggression and dared to assassinate the Lebanese Hezbollah's secretary-general and many other Lebanese civilians.
Ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon, Gaza Strip
On Monday at dawn, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in the Lebanese Bekaa reported a series of relentless Israeli raids targeting areas stretching from West Bekaa to its north and Hermel. The Israeli attacks expanded overnight and killed 11 citizens in an initial toll, following yesterday's toll of 60 killed.
In South Lebanon, civil defense crews were able to rescue a survivor from beneath the rubble in Ain el-Delb near Saida after a massive death toll of at least 30 following search operations that lasted hours after an Israeli attack targeted the area.
Also, for the first time, the aggression extended to the capital on Sunday at midnight. Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a multi-story residential building in the Cola area of Beirut.
In Gaza, local authorities revealed that "Israel" has murdered around 17,000 children since it launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.
Ismail al-Thawabta, the head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, told Anadolu that at least 16,859 children, including 171 infants, have been killed by the Israeli war machine since October 7. He further added that "around 25,973 Palestinian children now live in Gaza without one or both parents due to the Israeli aggression."
