The Secretary-General calls on Lebanon to stop the war: We do everything possible to reduce the escalation immediately
This came in a press conference during the second day of the solidarity visit carried out by the Secretary-General to Lebanon.
In the press conference, António Guterres referred to the Lebanese Muslim and Christian commemoration of the month of Ramadan and the period of Great Lent, and how this is a time of solidarity and generosity, and a strong reminder of the spirit of coexistence in Lebanon, but the past two weeks have witnessed widespread devastation.
And he said: “Hezbollah missiles and drones were fired at targets in northern Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan, followed by devastating Israeli bombing operations and widespread evacuation warnings, which made large parts of Lebanon uninhabitable.”
He added that many Israelis took shelter in bunkers, hundreds of Lebanese were killed, including many children, many were injured, and hundreds of thousands were displaced.
The Lebanese people did not choose this war
The Secretary-General met with a number of displaced people today in Beirut and heard from them their “heartbreaking stories.”
Guterres said: “The Lebanese people did not choose this war, but were dragged into it. My message to the warring parties is clear: Stop the fighting, stop the bombing. There is no political solution, only diplomacy, dialogue and full implementation of the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions.”
Secretary-General Guterres confirmed that diplomatic means are available, including through the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine-Hennis-Plasschaert, and through major United Nations member states.
He said that this was the path to protect communities on both sides of the Blue Line (in Lebanon and Israel) from unnecessary suffering.
UNIFIL continues to implement its mission
The Secretary-General praised the courage of UNIFIL peacekeepers, noting that three Ghanaian peacekeepers were injured, one of them seriously, on Friday amid an intense exchange of fire.
The Secretary-General visited them today in the hospital and wished them a full and speedy recovery.
He stressed that attacks on peacekeepers and their positions are completely unacceptable and must stop. He said that these attacks violate international law and may amount to war crimes.
Protecting civilians and restricting weapons to the state
Guterres stressed the need to respect and protect civilians at all times, and to avoid endangering civilian infrastructure.
He stressed the need to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and said: “The state must have complete control over weapons throughout Lebanese territory. This is a fundamental pillar ofSecurity Council Resolution No. 1701“It is an indispensable condition for permanent security on both sides of the Blue Line.”
He described the Lebanese government’s decision in August to restrict weapons to the state as historic. He stressed continued support for efforts to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces and other state security agencies.
But he said that the vision contained in Resolution 1701 cannot be achieved by the army alone, but requires a comprehensive government effort to address the entrenched reality of non-state weapons, and heal grievances and divisions.
He said that this must include every community in Lebanon.”Christians, Druze, Shiites, Sunnis and others.”.
He also stressed the inevitability of Hezbollah respecting the government’s decision to restrict weapons, the relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1701, and the inevitability that Israel respects Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He stressed the need to end the war.
Message to the international community
Secretary-General António Guterres ended his speech at the press conference with a message to the international community in which he called on it to empower the Lebanese state and its armed forces, and to respond generously to the humanitarian appeal launched in Beirut yesterday to provide the necessary resources to the Lebanese government to support the affected population.
And he said: “The people of Lebanon, as well as Israel and all people across the region, deserve to live without fear, to raise their children without the sounds of sirens and bombings, and to return to their homes without wondering when they will have to flee again.”
He added that the United Nations team on the ground is doing everything possible to support the Lebanese people and their institutions. “Together, we will spare no effort in seeking to achieve the peaceful future that Lebanon and this region so richly deserve.”
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