Secretary-General Briefs Press on Situation in Middle East

Secretary-General António Guterres (second from right at podium) briefs reporters on the situation in the Middle East. At right is Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

"The conflict in the Middle East is getting worse by the hour" said the Secretary-General, and continued: "Every air strike, every missile launch, every rocket fired, pushes peace further out of reach and makes the suffering even worse for the millions of civilians caught in the middle. That is why we cannot and will not give up on our calls for an immediate ceasefire both in Gaza and Lebanon, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and immediate lifesaving aid to all those who desperately need it. That is why we cannot and will not give up on our calls for irreversible action for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. All people in the region deserve to live in peace."