'Cycle of Violence Must Stop...': UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Nasrallah Killing

New York: Middle East has been on a brink of war, more so in the last 24 hours after Israel launched its biggest airstrike ever on Lebanon's Beirut, targeting the Hezbollah headquarters and strategic assets. The Israel airstrikes on Lebanon killed the Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah - reacting to this, UN General Secretary has said that this ‘cycle of violence must stop’. 

UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres on Nasrallah Killing

Reacting to the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, chief of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres has expressed 'grave concern' and has said that this ‘cycle of violence must stop’.

In a post on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter), Hassan Nasrallah has said, “I’m gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours. This cycle of violence must stop now. All sides must step back from the brink. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war.”

US Calls Nasrallah Killing ‘Measure of Justice’

Reacting to Nasrallah killing, US President Joe Biden called Hezbollah chief's elimination by Israel a "measure of justice" for victims of terror across the world.

The statement from White House reads, "Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians. The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas's massacre on October 7, 2023.

Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a "northern front" against Israel. The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups. Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war. 

Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means. In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon. It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability."

Hassan Nasrallah Killed, Hezbollah Issues Statement

Hezbollah announced on Saturday that its long-serving leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The group, in an official statement, confirmed that Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for nearly three decades, had died as a “great martyr” in what it described as a 'treacherous' raid.

The statement, beginning with a religious invocation, hailed Nasrallah as a “heroic, daring, brave, wise, insightful, and faithful leader” who had led Hezbollah “from victory to victory.” His leadership, which began after the death of his predecessor in 1992, saw the group’s rise to prominence, most notably through the liberation of southern Lebanon from Israeli occupation in 2000 and the 2006 war with Israel, which Hezbollah refers to as the “Glorious Divine Victory.”