Leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday asked Israel to halt activities that might trigger a full-scale war in Lebanon. UN Secretary General António Guterres said the situation was getting to the “brink,” and he called for restraint all the way around.
Biden Pushes for Diplomatic End Biden called for diplomacy in his speech, saying that full-scale war “is not in anybody’s interest,” even though conflict has escalated. There is still an opportunity for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, he emphasized, because “diplomacy is the only path to lasting security, and would allow both sides’ residents to go home safely.”.
Guterres Warns of Lebanon Becoming
‘Another Gaza’ Guterres said that he is very concerned by the increased violence, cautioning against the transformation of Lebanon into another Gaza. He termed the current conditions in Gaza as a “non-stop nightmare” and said that Lebanon is at the doorstep of a fully blown conflict.
New UN Resolution Pressures Israel The session began just one week after a UN General Assembly resolution had passed urging Israel to abandon its occupation of Palestinian lands by year’s end-a resolution hailed as “historic” by Palestine. Clashes continue to rise between Israel and armed groups without abatement.
More Diplomatic Efforts Urge Ceasefire Amid
Obstruction Claims Biden also called for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, saying that it’s time to “end this war.” Meanwhile, Qatar accused Israel of obstructing Gaza ceasefire talks as Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as a barrier to peace.
International protest France has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting over the crisis, with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warning that the region is on the verge of a full-scale war. The G7 also expressed this concern, stating in a statement that further escalation will drag the entire Middle East into a broader conflict with “unimaginable consequences.”.
Abhorrence at Invasion on Land Israel’s envoy to the UN
Danny Danon, stated that his country has no willingness in having a ground invasion of Lebanon. He said, “We don’t want to send our boys to fight in a foreign country” even as the war continues to claim lives.
Increasing Casualties In the past year, Israeli forces have killed at least 41,467 Palestinians in Gaza, with most of them civilians. The war has also bled over into Lebanon, where hundreds have died in recent clashes.
Mounting Criticism for UN The United Nations
Is also coming under increasing criticism for what it has not done. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the headquarters of the United Nations and condemned the organisation for turning Gaza into the ‘world’s largest children’s and women’s cemetery’. He accused the UN of not doing enough to enforce human rights in the Palestinian territories.
Similarly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called the Israeli attacks “genocide” and attacked the UN for its “utterly senseless and incomprehensible” lack of response. Qatar’s Emir chimed in, denouncing the “barbaric aggression against Gaza.”.
Urgent Calls for Action Jordan’s King Abdullah II
Warned the notion of forced displacing Palestinians, terming it a “war crime,” he stated. He has also ruled out the possibility of Jordan being a land for an alternative home for Palestinians since that would never happen.
The unconscionable situation in the Middle East has been on the minds of world leaders attending New York, where many have urged an immediate halt to the violence in order to avert a wider regional destabilization.
