Sir Keir Starmer has stepped up his call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon following an escalation in fighting between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah.
"Stop the violence. Step back from the brink," the prime minister said in his maiden speech to the UN General Assembly, despite Israeli ministers’ rejection of an international proposal for a temporary pause in fighting.
Sir Keir told world leaders a ceasefire would provide space for a diplomatic settlement to avoid a regional conflict in the Middle East.
Fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah are at a high, following the deadliest escalation of cross-border attacks in decades.