With tensions rising across the Middle East, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a firm call on Tuesday for an immediate halt to the violence, urging all parties to cease hostilities.

“I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation,” Guterres stated. “This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.”

The conflict intensified further on Tuesday when Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel, following Israel’s "limited" ground incursion into southern Lebanon earlier in the day.

This escalation comes just days after Israeli airstrikes in southern Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In the weeks leading up to these developments, Hezbollah members had been targeted in deadly explosions involving electronic devices, resulting in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries.

The rising violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants is set against the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza war, which is now approaching its second year. The two sides previously engaged in conflict nearly 20 years ago, leading to the UN Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 1701 in 2006. The resolution aimed to end the 34-day war by reinforcing the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and expanding its peacekeeping mission in the region.

Meanwhile, the UN reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s Hudaydah and Ras Issa ports on Sunday, following missile and drone attacks on Tel Aviv and Ashkelon by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Despite the attacks, infrastructure at the critical port of Hudaydah, a key lifeline for humanitarian aid and fuel supplies to Yemen, remains operational.

Julien Harneis, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, visited Hudaydah on Tuesday to assess the situation. According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, both Hudaydah and Ras Issa ports are still capable of receiving humanitarian and commercial shipments. However, power stations in Hudaydah are operating at limited capacity, prompting the UN to distribute fuel to health facilities to maintain essential services.

As the conflict spreads, the UN is calling for de-escalation and a focus on humanitarian relief to avoid further loss of life and infrastructure damage. (ILKHA)