Israeli Foreign Ministry condemns Guterres' statement on Lebanon

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to support efforts to achieve peace with Lebanon, Report informs.

"Equating a sovereign UN member state with a jihadist terrorist organization is yet another proof of the UN Secretary-General's failure. The UN has failed to disarm Hezbollah and failed to uphold its own Security Council Resolution 1701.

Hezbollah is the enemy of both Israel and Lebanon, serving as the Iranian regime's proxy to dominate Lebanon. Antonio Guterres should stand firmly behind genuine Israel–Lebanon peace efforts, not offer excuses for Hezbollah," the MFA said on X.

On April 14, the initial round of Lebanon-Israel contacts was held in Washington under the auspices of the United States, where the start date for peace negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement was to be determined. The delegations were led by the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel to the United States, Nada Hammad-Mouawad and Yechiel Leiter.