UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday asserted that no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law as he expressed deep alarm over the “relentless bombardment” of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip by Israeli forces and appealed to all to “pull back from the brink” before the violence escalates even further.

“The situation in West Asia is growing more dire by the hour. The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiralling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies. Tensions threaten to boil over,” Guterres told a Security Council ministerial meeting on West Asia.

“On this UN Day, at this critical hour, I appeal to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even farther,” he said.

The meeting, held under the Brazilian president of the council, was attended by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, Israel’s minister for foreign affairs Eli Cohen, Palestine’s minister of foreign affairs and expatriates Riyad Al-Maliki, Brazil’s minister for foreign affairs Mauro Vieira and France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs Catherine Colonna among others.

Guterres said he is deeply concerned about the “clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza”.

“Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.”