United Nations, Sep 29 : United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he was "gravely concerned" over the rising violence in the Middle East, urging all sides to halt the cycle of violence immediately.

Sharing a post on X, Guterres said, "I'm gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours. This cycle of violence must stop now. All sides must step back from the brink."

He added, "The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war."

Meanwhile, Unicef has sounded the alarm over the strikes in Beirut, condemning the recent escalation that has claimed thousands of lives.

Sharing a post on X, Unicef said, "Tragedy upon tragedy in Lebanon. The recent escalation has killed and injured thousands and instilled an unimaginable fear in people. The children of Lebanon need an immediate de-escalation."

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also eliminated senior Hezbollah intelligence array terrorist Hassan Khalil Yassin in a precision strike in the Dahieh district in Beirut on Saturday, the military reported, according to a report by Jerusalem Post.

"Yassin stood at the head of a department responsible for the identification of civilian and military targets, on the northern border and deep within Israeli territory," the IDF said.

It added, "As part of his role, Yassin collaborated intensely with all of Hezbollah's offensive units, was personally involved in the planning of terror attacks that were executed during the war against Israeli civilians and soldiers, and planned additional attacks to be carried out in the coming days."

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has officially acknowledged the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, following Israeli strikes on Beirut, according to a report by CNN.

Hezbollah said on Saturday that its leader, Nasrallah, "has joined his fellow martyrs."

The group also vowed that it would "continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine," Al Jazeera reported.

The Israeli Defence Forces launched precision strikes on the Lebanese capital in Beirut on Friday, which led to the death of Nasrallah.

/IANS