A United Nations official has warned that Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City could trigger a new crisis with regional repercussions, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the move was not aimed at occupying the territory.
Addressing a rare weekend emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca said the proposal risked causing further displacement, deaths, and destruction.
The UN’s humanitarian office reported that 98 children have died from acute malnutrition since the conflict began in October 2023, with 37 of those deaths recorded since July.
Several world figures, including Britain’s deputy UN envoy and the head of the World Health Organization, criticised the plan, warning it would deepen Palestinian suffering and prolong the war.
Netanyahu said Israel was working on a “short timetable” to end the conflict and announced that more foreign journalists would be allowed into Gaza under military escort.
While the United States defended Israel’s right to act against Hamas, Palestinian and Algerian envoys condemned the plan as illegal and called for sanctions.