UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the international community to prevent escalation in the Middle East, following an Israeli strike on Lebanon's capital and the reported killing of a top Hamas leader in Iran.

'The Secretary-General believes that the attacks we have seen in South Beirut and Tehran represent a dangerous escalation at a moment in which all efforts should instead be leading to a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all Israeli hostages, a massive increase of humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza and a return to calm in Lebanon and across the Blue Line,' UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement issued on Wednesday.