From Beirut... Guterres Appeals to "Hezbollah" and Israel to "Stop the War"

SadaNews - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged "Hezbollah" and Israel to ceasefire, stating that the era of armed groups has "passed," shortly after his arrival in Beirut on Friday amid the war in the Middle East.

In a brief statement after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Guterres said: "I strongly appeal to... (Hezbollah) and Israel to reach a ceasefire to put an end to the war and pave the way for a solution that allows Lebanon to become an independent country... where authorities monopolize the use of force."

He added: "The era of armed groups has passed, and this is the time of strong nations."

Israel has expanded its operations in Lebanon, launching successive airstrikes on several areas on Friday, one of which targeted a major bridge on the Litani River in southern Lebanon for the first time, which the Israeli army claimed was used by "Hezbollah" as a corridor for its operatives. The airstrikes come amid Israel's threat of a ground intervention to disarm "Hezbollah" unless the Lebanese government accomplishes the task, while the group continues to carry out attacks on Israeli positions and forces on the fourteenth day of the American-Israeli war against its supporter Iran.