GENEVA: The United Nations’ top humanitarian official expressed grave concern on Wednesday over the escalating conflict dynamics in the Middle East, warning that the spread of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza to Lebanon could be “potentially apocalyptic.”
Israeli military on Wednesday continued bombing Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, witnesses said, as fears are growing of a wider regional war.
Martin Griffiths, the outgoing UN humanitarian coordinator, highlighted the growing risk of a broader regional conflict following recent escalations in cross-border tensions between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Griffiths emphasized Lebanon as “the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints,” particularly pointing to southern Lebanon where tensions have been mounting.
“We are worried about the potential for further tragedy and deaths,” Griffiths stated. “It’s potentially apocalyptic.”
The concerns come amid reports from Israel’s military last week indicating approval for offensive plans in Lebanon, a move that has escalated threats from Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Griffiths, whose term concludes this week, underscored the broader implications of a conflict involving Lebanon, warning that it could draw in neighboring Syria and other regional actors, amplifying the humanitarian crisis across Gaza and the West Bank.
“A war involving Lebanon will have regional repercussions,” he cautioned. “It’s very alarming.”
Reflecting on the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Griffiths described it as a tragic demonstration of unprecedented suffering and cruelty. However, he expressed deep concern that the situation could deteriorate further.
“Gaza has shown us a new level of tragedy and cruelty, but we fear this may only be the beginning,” Griffiths remarked.
He noted that the UN’s humanitarian agencies, including OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), were intensifying preparedness efforts for a potential broader crisis. Yet, he stressed the critical need for political solutions to prevent further escalation.
“There is a lot of preparedness on the aid side,” he said. But the kind of preparedness needed was “political”, he stressed. “The problem lies in preventing this war from escalating further,” Griffiths emphasized.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification partnership warned of acute famine in north Gaza and stated that around 495,000 Palestinian people face “catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity”.
On the ground in Rafah, witnesses reported overnight clashes and airstrikes, with the Israeli military confirming strikes on rocket launch sites. Mohammad al-Mughayyir of Gaza’s civil defence agency reported the recovery of 15 bodies from various areas in Rafah, underscoring the human toll of the conflict.
The civil defence agency and hospital medics said at least four people, including three children, were killed in a strike early on Wednesday targeting a house in Beit Lahia, in the north.
UN and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that aid workers are not safe in Gaza, impeding their desperately needed efforts to deliver aid to Gaza’s 2.4 million people.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 37,718 Palestinians, mostly women and children, Gaza’s health ministry said.
The deaths include 10 members of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh’s family, including his sister, who Palestinian officials said was killed in a Tuesday strike.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned of the war’s dire impact on children.
“We have every day 10 children who are losing one leg or two legs on average,” Lazzarini told reporters.
“Ten per day, that means around 2,000 children after the more than 260 days of this brutal war.”
