The United Nations has called for urgent negotiations to end escalating violence in the Middle East, warning that civilian populations are enduring entirely avoidable suffering.

In a press briefing from Geneva on March 3, 2026, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani highlighted that hostilities between Iran and Israel have already affected 12 other nations, destroying homes, businesses, airports, and energy infrastructure.

In Iran, the Iran Red Crescent Society reported 787 deaths, including dozens of school girls killed or injured in Minab when a primary school was struck.

Israel reported nine civilian deaths in Beit Shemesh after a missile hit a residential area. Lebanon has seen mass displacement, with some 93,000 residents fleeing intense bombardments linked to Hezbollah’s attacks and Israeli reprisals.

She stressed that all parties must abide by the laws of war, ensuring attacks respect principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.

“Attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects as well as indiscriminate attacks are grave breaches of international humanitarian law and can constitute war crimes. Human rights should never be used as a bargaining chip or instrumentalized in any way by any State,” Shamdasani emphasized.

As fatalities mount and displacement spreads, the UN’s warning underscores that without immediate engagement, civilian suffering across the region could worsen dramatically.