UN chief: Israel-Lebanon war would be 'total disaster'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that a "full-fledged confrontation" between Israel and Lebanon would be a "total disaster" amid fears of a wider war.

Addressing the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos, Guterres reiterated on Wednesday his call for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza.

Since October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has witnessed a near-daily exchange of fire between Israel's army and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

"The spillover that is already taking place, the risk of a full-fledged confrontation in Lebanon, it would be a total disaster. We need to avoid it at all cost," Guterres said.

Yemeni Houthi group have also struck what they consider Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza since the Israeli assault there started on October 7 following Hamas attack on Israeli towns near the besieged enclave.

Ceasefire to avoid further chaos

The United Nations chief suggested that a ceasefire would help to avoid further chaos.

"What we are seeing in the Red Sea, all this demonstrates that it's not enough. It's very important to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. It's very important to have a humanitarian ceasefire," he said.

Guterres repeated his call for an independent Palestinian state to be established.

"I believe that the present situation has demonstrated that the two-state solution is an absolutely central way to solve this problem," he said.