Guterres Urges Ceasefire Amid Escalating Middle East Conflict

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is “out of control,” urging an immediate halt to hostilities. He stated that Lebanon must not suffer the same fate as Gaza, which was devastated by years of conflict.

In early March, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened Beirut’s southern suburbs with destruction similar to what Israel inflicted on Gaza. Guterres expressed alarm at the broader regional war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, where Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed.

The UN chief also appointed French diplomat Jean Arnault as his special envoy to lead efforts regarding the conflict and its consequences.

Meanwhile, Israeli aggression continued across Lebanon, with new strikes hitting southern suburbs and multiple locations in the south. Lebanese state media reported that at least nine people were killed in these attacks.

Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, rejected any negotiations while under attack, insisting that dialogue would be tantamount to capitulation.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that Israel aims to replicate the destruction it inflicted on Gaza in Lebanon. He condemned the global economic toll of the conflict, stating that Spanish firms alone have lost 100 billion euros in less than a month.