BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 7. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over statements allowing for collective punishment of civilians for political and military decisions, the Secretary General's official representative, Stephane Dujarric, Trend reports.

A spokesman for the secretary-general said Guterres called for urgent diplomatic efforts to end the war in the Middle East.

Dujarric stressed that no military objective can justify the destruction of civilian infrastructure or the deliberate infliction of suffering on the population.

Guterres also called for the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that its blockade has a particularly severe impact on the world's most vulnerable populations.