Johannesburg, Oct 3: The South African government is "gravely concerned" about the "continuing escalation of military action by the State of Israel" in Palestine and Lebanon, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said.

The response from Iran is also troubling, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"South Africa calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and avoid any acts that would escalate tensions in a particularly fragile region, as vulnerable groups suffer the most in conflict," DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said.

Phiri stressed that the South African government shared concerns expressed by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said he was "alarmed by the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation." Phiri also expressed shock over the news that the UN secretary-general had been declared persona non grata by Israel.

The South African government has maintained its position of advocating for peace and dialogue to resolve conflicts. "South Africa calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to address the spiraling conflict," Phiri said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The recent escalation has seen Israel launch attacks on Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians while the Hezbollah group in Lebanon and Iran have retaliated by firing missiles at Israel.

The South African government also reiterated that Israel's "continued occupation" of Palestine has deprived Palestinians of their right to self-determination and hindered the restoration of peace. South Africa has been vocal about what it has referred to as the "genocide" of Palestinians since last year when it brought the issue of violence to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

--IANS

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