BRUSSELS – More than six months of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has turned the Palestinian territory into a “humanitarian hellscape,” UN chief Antonio Guterres said, also warning that one wrong move could see the Middle East devolve into wider war.
World powers have been watching nervously since Israel vowed to retaliate against Iran for its unprecedented weekend assault on its arch enemy, with fears soaring that escalating tit-for-tat attacks could push the region towards broader conflict.
Israel’s top ally and military supplier, the United States, and Britain unveiled sweeping sanctions against Iran’s military drone programme as governments kept up calls for restraint from all sides.
In the latest in a series of threats between the two foes, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that Tehran would make Israel “regret” any attack on the Islamic republic.
While the world’s attention has been focused on the Iran tensions, Israel has continued carrying out its offensive on besieged Gaza.
The Israeli army said it had bombed dozens of targets in the territory. “The Middle East is on a precipice,” the UN’s Guterres said according to AFP.
“One miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable — a full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all involved.”
The UN chief again called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling for Israel to do more to allow aid into the territory.
“In Gaza, six and a half months of Israeli military operations have created a humanitarian hellscape,” Guterres told the UN Security Council.
