By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Delegates at the 79th UN General Assembly (UNGA79), including the foreign ministers from Indonesia, Denmark and Trinidad and Tobago, have called for an end to hostilities in the Middle East.
The Danish foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said, “Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced all over the region, and there’s a very, very real risk of an all out regional war, which would affect not only the people in the region, but all of us. This must end, and this must end now.”
The foreign minister from Trinidad and Tobago also shared the same view, saying he was “deeply troubled by the escalation of conflict and tensions in the Middle East.” He added, “We remain distressed by the ongoing war on Gaza and by the chilling flashpoints of expansion that are being deployed on a daily basis.”
Heritage Times HT reports that UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has repeatedly called for an end to the violence, presiously warning that the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza”.
Their remarks come amid a significant escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah over the past week, with Israeli strikes in Lebanon killing hundreds.
A recent airstrike in Beirut killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Iran’s Supreme leader has vowed retaliation for his death.
Hamas triggered a different conflict with its October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages.
In response, Israel launched a counter-offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 41,200 Palestinians, a death toll Israel says, include thousands of militant fighters.
