UN chief pleads with Middle East leaders to 'step back from the brink'
United Nations secretary-general António Guterres made the plea after Israel unleashed widespread airstrikes against Hezbollah, killing more than 350 people. Picture: Yuki Iwamura/AP
The death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon approached 500, with nearly 1,650 others injured since Monday morning, as UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres pleaded with leaders to "step back from the brink" amid the escalation.
Irish peacekeepers will remain in Lebanon, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said, adding Israel is "recklessly oblivious" to the consequences of its actions in the Middle East.
Israel unleashed its most widespread airstrikes against Hezbollah on Monday, with almost 500 killed, including 35 children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The Israeli Air Force said on X it had carried out about 650 strike missions in the past 24 hours, attacking more than 1,100 targets using more than 1,400 munitions.
Iran's president said Israel wanted to drag the Middle East into a full-blown war by provoking Iran to join the nearly year-old conflict between Israel and Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Masoud Pezeshkian added: "We will defend any group that is defending its rights and itself," after being asked whether Iran would enter the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
US president Joe Biden said he had been briefed on the latest developments between Israel and Lebanon, and was working with counterparts to de-escalate the situation.
Speaking in New York, Mr Martin said he had been in touch with the Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Seán Clancy and Lt Gen Clancy had been in touch with the command in Unifil.
Mr Martin said the morale of Irish troops "is strong, and they're in very difficult and very challenging circumstances", but said there was no plans to bring them home.
Mr Martin said Israel's actions were potentially damaging to the entire Middle East.
"My concern is that Israel is recklessly oblivious to the implications in the region, and indeed globally, as a result of its activities," he said.
"It is creating a lot of hostile environments around the world: in Egypt, in Jordan, both moderate countries who are now under huge pressures because of what's happening in Palestine and what's happening in Lebanon, and in my view, it's reckless.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said the world had turned its back on children in the Middle East. He said there had been an inconsistent application of international law.
“Right now, the world is turning its back on children crying, children being starved, children facing the most horrific humanitarian situation, children losing limbs, children losing life, children losing parents and this place [the United Nations] was set up to stop this,” he said.
“What we have seen now, in my view, is an inconsistent application of international law where, quite rightly, the world stands largely united against Russian aggression. But when it comes to the horrific humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East, there's still far too much, quite a battery and an inconsistent application of international law, and that should be something that everybody really needs to reflect on very seriously.”
It marks the deadliest day of violence since the 1975-1990 civil war, and ramps up a nearly year-long conflict between the two groups.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a video statement addressing the Lebanese people, saying its war is with Hezbollah and the group has been "using you as human shields".
Meanwhile, tens of thousands are fleeing southern Lebanon "due to Israeli atrocities", said Lebanese minister Nasser Yassin.
After almost a year of war against Hamas in Gaza on its southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to the northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets in support of Hamas.
Hezbollah has vowed to fight on until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
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