Guterres Calls for End to Middle East War During Visit to Lebanon

António Guterres called for an immediate end to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and urged stronger international support for Lebanon during a visit to the Lebanese capital on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters in Beirut, the UN chief warned that southern Lebanon risks being “turned into a wasteland” amid ongoing hostilities following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent escalation involving regional actors.

Guterres said rocket fire by Hezbollah into Israel in support of Tehran was followed by what he described as a “devastating” Israeli bombing campaign that has rendered large parts of Lebanon uninhabitable.

“The Lebanese people did not choose this war. They were dragged into it,” Guterres said, stressing that the conflict must end and that diplomacy—not military action—remains the only viable path forward under the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The UN chief noted the heavy toll on civilians on both sides of the Blue Line separating southern Lebanon from northern Israel, an area monitored by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

He said Israelis have been forced to seek shelter from Hezbollah rocket attacks, while hundreds of Lebanese civilians—including many children—have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. More than 800,000 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon and areas of southern Beirut following evacuation orders and ongoing bombardment.

During his visit, Guterres met families displaced by the fighting at a shelter in Beirut, describing their testimonies as deeply distressing.

He also warned that a cessation of hostilities agreement reached just over a year ago between Lebanon and Israel failed to fully halt the violence, with both sides accused of violating the terms of the ceasefire.

Guterres paid tribute to UN peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL, noting that several have come under fire in recent days. “Attacks against peacekeepers and their positions are completely unacceptable and must stop,” he said.

The secretary-general also welcomed a decision by the Lebanese government last August to establish what he described as a “monopoly of arms,” urging Hezbollah fighters to comply with that decision and relevant UN Security Council resolutions by surrendering their weapons.

Guterres concluded his visit with an appeal to the international community to intensify diplomatic engagement and strengthen support for the Lebanese state and the Lebanese Armed Forces.

He also urged countries to contribute generously to the UN’s emergency humanitarian appeal aimed at assisting the government-led response to the crisis.

“The people of Lebanon—as well as Israel and the entire region—deserve to live without fear,” Guterres said. “They deserve to raise their children without the sound of sirens and airstrikes and to return to their homes without wondering when they might have to flee again.”