UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza, emphasizing that an all-out war "must be avoided at all costs."

“The people of Lebanon, as well as the people of Israel and the people of the world, cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” Guterres told a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East situation.

He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged all parties to take concrete steps toward implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701.

“Civilians must be protected. Civilian infrastructure must not be targeted,” he added.

The UN chief also emphasized the need for the safety and security of all UN personnel, saying international law must be respected by all sides.

“Let us say in one clear voice, stop the killing and destruction, tone down the rhetoric and threats step back from the brink. An all-out war must be avoided at all costs. It would surely be an all-out catastrophe,” he warned.

The UN chief highlighted that recent exchanges of fire between Lebanon and Israel have repeatedly violated Security Council Resolution 1701, as has the daily use of weapons by non-state armed groups, which also violates Resolutions 1559 and 1701.

Guterres also revealed that escalating violence has forced nearly 200,000 people in Lebanon and over 60,000 people in northern Israel to flee their homes since October of last year.

“The communities of northern Israel and southern Lebanon must be able to return to their homes and live in safety and security without fear,” he said, noting that many lives have been lost.

The secretary-general underscored the need for respecting Lebanese sovereignty and allowing the Lebanese state to exercise full control over weapons within its borders. He reaffirmed the UN support for strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces to help stabilize the region.

“All of this must stop,” Guterres said, reiterating the urgent need for peace and stability in the region.

Israel has launched waves of deadly airstrikes on Lebanon since Monday morning, killing nearly 610 people and injuring over 2,000 others, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.