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Middle East at most dangerous juncture amid Iran-Israel war: UN
The Middle East is on the verge of another serious escalation, according to a UN official.
UN, United States: The UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace warned on Tuesday that the region is at its “most dangerous juncture” in decades, as a war between Israel and Iran-backed groups risks escalating into a wider conflict.
“We have now entered the second year of this horrific conflict, and the region is on the verge of another serious escalation,” Tor Wennesland told the Security Council.
His remarks came just days after Israel carried out airstrikes on military sites in Iran in response to Tehran’s October 1 missile attack, a revenge attack for the killing of Iran-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guard commander.
“We must all do everything possible to de-escalate the situation and establish a different trajectory towards greater peace and stability in the region,” he added.
More than a year after Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 triggered a devastating war in Gaza that has now spread to Lebanon, the deadly violence “shows no sign of abating.” “We are witnessing not only a horrific humanitarian nightmare but also the rapid collapse of the prospects for a lasting solution to this conflict,” Wennesland said.
He said he had visited Gaza last week where he “witnessed the magnitude of the devastation this war has inflicted on the population.”
“I saw the massive destruction of residential buildings, roads, hospitals and schools. I saw thousands of people living in makeshift tents because winter is coming and they have nowhere to go.”
According to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, which the UN considers reliable, Israel’s retaliatory attacks have killed at least 43,020 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them civilians, prompting warnings of a humanitarian disaster.
During the October 7 attack, Palestinian militants seized 251 hostages, including soldiers and civilians, 97 of whom are still in Gaza. The Israeli military says 34 of them have died.
The attack killed 1,206 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli official figures.
And in Lebanon, at least 1,700 people have been killed since September 23, when fighting escalated as Israel launched air and ground offensives against Hezbollah, which has been launching rocket attacks in support of Hamas.
55 killed, many trapped in Israeli attack on residential building in Gaza
