NEW YORK, June 23 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday voiced “profound concern” over escalating violence and “bellicose rhetoric” between Israel and Hezbollah militants across the frontier with Lebanon.
Speaking to the press at the UN headquarters in New York, the UN chief warned that one false move could trigger a catastrophe for the whole region and beyond.
“One rash move — one miscalculation — could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination,” he said.
He underscored that a widening of the conflict in the Middle East must be avoided.
“Let’s be clear: The people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” he stressed.
The UN chief noted that on both sides of the Blue Line, many people have already lost their lives, and tens of thousands of people have been driven from their homes, with their livelihoods destroyed.
