HAMILTON, Canada

A senior UN official on Tuesday warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's possible plans to expand military operations throughout the entire Gaza Strip would have "catastrophic consequences."

"The latest reports regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu's possible decision to expand Israel's military operations through the entire Gaza Strip, if true, are deeply alarming," said Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas, during UN Security Council.

"This would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza," he added.

Jenca described the situation in the enclave as "horrifying – it is unbearable," noting that "Palestinians are subjected to squalid, inhumane conditions on a daily basis."

"Since the beginning of the conflict, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health," he said, adding that since late May alone more than 1,200 Palestinians were killed and over 8,100 injured while trying to access food supplies, many near militarized aid distribution points.

Jenca emphasized Israel's continued restriction of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and 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."

Echoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jenca condemned the "shooting, killing, and injuring of people attempting to get food for their families," stressing that "civilians must be respected, protected and never targeted or deliberately deprived of food or access to other lifesaving aid – doing so is a war crime."

He reiterated the UN's call for a complete and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and safe humanitarian access, warning: "There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza."