UK foreign secretary reaffirms support for UN's role in Middle East amid ongoing crisis

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the UN in its efforts to address the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Writing on X on Wednesday, Lammy said he had recently spoken with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the ongoing situation in the region.

"Yesterday I spoke with Antonio Guterres about the situation in the Middle East and the UN’s indispensable role in addressing the challenges in the region," Lammy stated.

He reaffirmed the UK's backing for the secretary-general, stating, "The UK continues to support the Secretary-General and the UN’s vital work across the world."

The statement comes as the Middle East is facing heightened instability, with ongoing violence and humanitarian crises demanding urgent international attention.

Israel dramatically escalated its massive bombing campaign across Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing at least 1,437 people, injuring over 4,123 others, and displacing more than 1.34 million people.

The aerial campaign is an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip. More than 42,400 people, most of them women and children, have been killed since the war began in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack on Israel.

Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1.