عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

UN Says Attacks in Beirut, Tehran Are a Dangerous Escalation

Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach (unseen) ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach (unseen) ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (Reuters)
TT
TT

UN Says Attacks in Beirut, Tehran Are a Dangerous Escalation

Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach (unseen) ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach (unseen) ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (Reuters)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes that attacks in Beirut and Tehran this week mark a "dangerous escalation" of the conflict in the Middle East, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"It is increasingly clear ... that restraint alone is insufficient at this extremely sensitive time. The Secretary-General urges all to vigorously work toward regional de-escalation in the interest of long-term peace and stability for all," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
TT
TT

UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

The UN rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern about the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, where his office said nearly 100 people had been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including women, children and medics.

Israel has been locked in fighting with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah since Oct. 2023, and fighting has escalated dramatically since late September of this year.

"UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk is gravely concerned by the escalation in Lebanon with at least 97 people reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes between the 22nd and 24th of November," Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, told a Geneva press briefing.

He said that at least seven paramedics had been reported killed in three Israeli strikes in the south of Lebanon on Nov. 22-23, adding to 226 healthcare worker deaths since Oct. 7, 2023. He did not specify how many of the recent deaths had been verified by UN human rights monitors.

Israel says it targets military capabilities in Lebanon and Gaza and takes steps to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians. It accuses Hezbollah, like Hamas, of hiding among civilians, which they deny.