UN warns expanded Israeli Gaza war risks 'catastrophic consequences'

A top UN official warned Tuesday that expanding Israeli military operations inside Gaza would risk "catastrophic consequences," as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly considered total occupation of the Palestinian territory.A widening of the war "would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza," Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, told a Security Council meeting."There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Jenca said.During a visit to an army training facility earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu said: "It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, to free all our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel."Over the 22 months of war, Israeli forces have devastated large parts of the Gaza Strip, where repeated warnings of famine have increased pressure on Netanyahu's government to halt the fighting.The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. 251 hostages were also seized, 49 of whom remain held in Gaza including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,020 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.Jenca called during the meeting for "all hostages held in Gaza to be immediately and unconditionally released," while also highlighting the insufficient amount of aid that is currently entering Gaza."Israel continues to severely restrict humanitarian assistance entering Gaza, and the aid that is permitted to enter is grossly inadequate," he said."Hunger is everywhere in Gaza, visible in the faces of children and in the desperation of parents risking their lives to access the most basic supplies," Jenca added.