UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel and Hezbollah to “stop the war” at the start of a visit to Beirut, saying it was “no longer the time of armed groups,” AFP reports.

“My strong appeal to those parties, to Hezbollah and to Israel, is for a ceasefire to stop the war and… allow Lebanon to become a country independent… where its authorities have the monopoly on use of force,” Guterres said from the presidential palace, as Lebanon entered its 11th day of war.

“This is no longer the time of armed groups. This is the time of strong states.”