“It is time to end the bloody cycle of retaliation. The international community must work together to prevent any action that could push the entire Middle East over the edge, with a devastating impact on the civilian population.” The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said this in the Security Council.
"In recent days we have witnessed a dangerous escalation, a miscalculation or a communication error could lead to the unthinkable, a large-scale regional conflict which would be devastating", he added, calling for "maximum moderation".
Guterres then underlined that "the risks are increasing on many fronts, and we have a shared responsibility to address these risks and bring the region back from the precipice. The way to do this is to carry out global diplomatic action to ease tension in the Middle East".
The Secretary-General then stated that "an end to hostilities in Gaza would significantly defuse tensions across the region". "We have a shared moral obligation - he said - to carry out a global effort to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, in order to reduce risks, increase stability and pave the way towards peace and prosperity for the countries and peoples of the region and beyond." ".