Speaking alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Monday, Guterres urged the parties to keep diplomatic channels open and avoid further escalation. “I want to send a loud and clear message to the parties. We need maximum restraint and diplomatic solutions,” Guterres said.
“If the sabre-rattling we are witnessing now translates itself into a major escalation, the situation in the region can get out of control.”
Guterres said navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, key shipping routes for global trade.
Guterres commended Egypt for helping create conditions for dialogue between Iran and the US. “Egypt is a pillar of multilateralism,” Guterres said. “At a time when divisions are deepening, it is critical to keep the channels of diplomacy open.”
Guterres also praised Egypt’s mediation and humanitarian role in Gaza, including facilitating aid deliveries, medical evacuations and the work of the Egyptian Red Crescent.
Guterres called for Israeli restrictions on humanitarian assistance to be lifted and obstacles to implementing the UN Security Council-endorsed plan to end the Gaza conflict to be removed. “Civilians must be protected, and international law must be respected,” Guterres said.
Guterres also expressed alarm over expanding Israeli settlements, evictions, violence and attacks against journalists and diplomats in the occupied West Bank. “We are seeing an increasingly coercive environment with the spectre of ethnic cleansing looming ever larger. This must end,” Guterres said.
Guterres reiterated support for Palestinian self-determination and a two-state solution, saying lasting peace in the Middle East depended on realising the legitimate rights of Palestinian people.
Turning to Sudan, Guterres called for an end to fighting and an inclusive political process preserving the country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Guterres also urged Libya to build on political momentum, unify national institutions and prepare for elections to end the prolonged political transition.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
