United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon in an X/Twitter post on Tuesday, ahead of the final UN General Assembly meeting of his tenure.
Guterres said that he was “deeply concerned” by the IDF’s escalation in Lebanon, and condemned “the mounting civilian casualties, the distress & displacement caused by the evacuation orders, and the scenes of massive destruction & devastation.”
He also stated that civilians and civilian objects were not a target, that attacks against them were unacceptable, and that they must be protected at all times.
I am deeply concerned by the escalation of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.
I condemn the mounting civilian casualties, the distress & displacement caused by the evacuation orders, and the scenes of massive destruction & devastation.
Civilians & civilian objects…
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 8, 2026
“The Lebanese State must have the monopoly on the use of force,” he said, calling for an end to hostilities. “I urge all parties to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty & territorial integrity.”
Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, also emphasized “the need for full respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians, healthcare and civilian infrastructure.”
Candidates vying for UN secretary-general post as Guterres ends term
Guterres has served as the UN secretary-general since 2017 and is due to complete his second term in the position on December 31, 2026.
In July, the UN Security Council began to hold informal closed-door “straw poll” ballots to assess support for the seven candidates currently vying to become the next head of the United Nations.
The current candidates include Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog; former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet; former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan; former Ecuadorian foreign minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa; former Guyanese foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; former Senegalese president Macky Sall; and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu.
Reuters contributed to this report.
