Gaza solution is necessary to stop escalation in the Middle East, UN Secretary General warns
A solution in Gaza could "allow for de-escalation in other parts of the Middle East", according to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
He also warned "we cannot have in Lebanon another Gaza" as tensions in the region continue to mount.
Speaking to CNN, he added that despite serious efforts being made by the Lebanese government and United States he is "extremely worried about Lebanon."
"It is absolutely crucial to avoid a messy confrontation in Lebanon that will be the devastation of the country," he said.
Guterres also called for a humanitarian ceasefire in order to facilitate the liberation of hostages "immediately and unconditionally," to provide "effective humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza" and to "facilitate a serious negotiation for de-escalation in Lebanon."
It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the need for a “pathway to a Palestinian state” at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos, saying that Israel would not “get genuine security absent that.”
If Israel can be brought into the fold of the Middle East, Blinken said, the region would be coming together to isolate Iran, which he called “the biggest concern in terms of security,” as well as its proxies, which include Yemen's Houthis who have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea.
“The problem is getting from here to there, and of course, it requires very difficult, challenging decisions. It requires a mindset that is open to that perspective,” Blinken said.
He said what is different now is the mindset of leaders in the Arab and Muslim world on integrating Israel into the region and that he feels “a fierce urgency of now” because “we’re in the midst of what is human tragedy in so many ways in the Middle East right now - for the Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
A day earlier, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said in a Davos panel his country agreed “regional peace includes peace for Israel” and responded “certainly” when asked if Saudi Arabia would recognise Israel as part of a larger political agreement.
“But that can only happen through peace for the Palestinians, through a Palestinian state,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a right-wing government that is opposed to Palestinian statehood, and Netanyahu himself recently said his actions over the years prevented the formation of such a state.
Blinken said Israelis would need to decide on its leadership and its direction, saying it's up to them whether the country can “seize the opportunity that we believe is there” and calling this “an inflection point” for the Middle East that requires hard decisions.
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South Africa has formally accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians and pleaded with the United Nations’ top court to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Israel has responded by calling its war in Gaza a legitimate defence of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide.
Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza after the militant group launched a series of attacks on October 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing around 250.
Amid a barrage of bombings and intense fighting, 24,285 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, Gaza’s Health Ministry says.
France, along with Qatar, helped mediate the delivery of a shipment of medicine for dozens of hostages held by Hamas on Wednesday, the same day French leader Emmanuel Macron will speak in Davos.
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