HAMILTON, Canada

A senior UN official warned Thursday that Israel's airstrike in Qatar marks a dangerous escalation in the Middle East that threatens to destabilize the region.

"We gather, yet again, as the scope of violence in the Middle East has widened, further threatening regional security and stability," UN Political Affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council.

"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of any country, including Qatar, a valued partner in advancing peacemaking and conflict resolution, must be respected," said DiCarlo, as she conveyed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' condemnation of the attack.

The Israeli airstrikes against Doha "shocked the world," said DiCarlo, noting that the attack struck Hamas officials who were meeting to discuss a US proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip.

"The Israeli attack on Doha potentially opens a new and perilous chapter in this devastating conflict, seriously threatening regional peace and stability," she added.

DiCarlo told Council members that in less than a month, the second anniversary of the "horrific acts of terror that sparked the hostilities in Gaza" will be marked.

"In those two years, the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, and almost completely destroyed Gaza," she said. "The situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has continued to spiral downward."

She pointed to "dangerous escalations across the region involving Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen."

Emphasizing Qatar's crucial mediation efforts, alongside Egypt and the US, in brokering a ceasefire and hostage deal, she said: "We are deeply grateful for Qatar's steadfast commitment and constructive diplomacy."

"All parties must act to preserve these efforts. Regrettably, Israel's actions came at the height of ongoing consultations with the parties," she said.

Warning that the actions undermine peace efforts, she stressed: "Any action that undermines the work of mediation and dialogue weakens confidence in the very mechanisms we depend on for conflict resolution."

"Durable and just solutions to the crises in the Middle East will not come out of more violence and more fighting," she said, underscoring the urgency of a ceasefire to end the suffering in Gaza.