UN: Gaza Strip is becoming uninhabitable

The head of the UN humanitarian service Martin Griffiths warned that after three months of war, the Palestinian territory has turned into ruins and may become "uninhabitable". UNN UNN reported this citing the official's statement.

"Gaza has simply become uninhabitable. Its residents are witnessing daily threats to their very existence - and the world is watching.(...) We continue to demand an immediate end to the war, not only for the people of Gaza and its threatened neighbors, but also for future generations who will never forget these 90 days of hell and assault on the most basic principles of humanity," Griffiths said.  

According to the Voice of America, the statement of the UN representative was made at a time when Gaza was subjected to another bombardment by Israeli troops. It is reported about the strikes on the southern city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of people are trying to take refuge from the fighting.

The military confrontation has already led to a sharp rise in tensions across the region. As the conflict enters its fourth month, these tensions are not abating.

The Lebanese group Hezbollah said it had "begun to respond" to the assassination of a Hamas deputy leader in Beirut. Israel itself has not confirmed its involvement in the operation to eliminate the group's spokesman. But a US Defense Department spokesman told the AFP news agency that the strike was carried out by Israel.

"Hezbollah said it launched 62 rocket attacks on Israel's Meron air traffic control base, while the Israeli army reported "about 40 launches from Lebanon" on Saturday, adding that it struck Hezbollah "military facilities" in response." Before noon on Saturday, warning sirens sounded seven times in northern Israel.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed that the mountaintop base had been shelled, but did not say whether it had been damaged. No Israeli casualties were reported either.

"Hezbollah has been conducting almost daily exchanges of strikes with Israeli forces since early October. The group's spokesman said the latest shelling was in response to the killing of Saleh al-Arouri on Tuesday in Beirut, where Hezbollah is headquartered.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is visiting the Lebanese capital, warned the sides against widening the confrontation.

"It is imperative to avoid regional escalation in the Middle East. It is absolutely essential to avoid Lebanon being drawn into a regional conflict," Borrel said.

Before traveling to Saudi Arabia, Borrell called for a redoubling of efforts to achieve peace.

"Israel has declared its goal to eradicate Hamas. There has to be another way to eradicate Hamas which will not lead to the deaths of so many people," he said.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he wants to make sure the conflict in the Middle East "doesn't escalate.