UN chief calls for immediate halt to Beirut violence, cease-fire in Gaza

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UN secretary-general expressed on Saturday deep concern over "the dramatic escalation" of violence in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, calling for an end to conflicts in the Middle East.

"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 spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

He warned that an "all-out war "would have devastating consequences not only for the people of Lebanon and Israel but for "the wider region" as well.

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 cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held there."

Hezbollah and Israel continued cross-border warfare since the Gaza war last October, but Tel Aviv recently escalated its offensive in Lebanon, killing hundreds, displacing thousands and also assassinating the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.