The Observer view on the Israel-Hamas war: World leaders must back UN’s ceasefire plan | Observer editorial

Leaders of US, Britain, EU and Arab states should unite in backing UN calls for a humanitarian ceasefire

The Middle East is on the verge of the abyss". That was the stark warning issued last week by Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, as he assessed the violent ramifications of the Hamas terrorist attack that killed more than 1,400 Israelis two weeks ago. Like numerous diplomats and politicians in the Arab world, Europe and the US, Guterres is working frantically to prevent the fire lit on 7 October from spreading beyond the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza, where Hamas is based, to the wider region.

The success of these efforts hangs in the balance. The release of two Americans among the roughly 200 people taken hostage by Hamas is the first good news to emerge since the crisis erupted. Behind-the-scenes mediation led by Qatar to free those still held captive is continuing. But this success has not halted Israel's round-the-clock bombardment of Gaza. It's plain the remaining hostages' fate is inextricably linked to other issues, principally a predicted, large-scale Israeli ground offensive.