New York: The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres unequivocally condemned the massive strikes by Israel across Lebanon on Wednesday that resulted in hundreds of civilians being killed and injured, including children, as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.
In a statement attributed to his Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, early Thursday, Guterres expressed deep shock and strong condemnation over the mounting civilian casualties, extending his deepest condolences to the government and people of Lebanon and wishing a swift and full recovery to the injured.
He warned that the continuation of military operations in Lebanon, despite the announced ceasefire between the United States and Iran, poses a grave risk to the ceasefire and the efforts toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call to all parties to immediately cease hostilities, stressing the need to respect international law, including international humanitarian law, and to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian objects at all times.
He emphasised that there is no military solution to the conflict, calling on all sides to avail themselves of diplomatic channels and recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.