Israel-Gaza conflict: World losing its humanity — UNRWA chief

The Middle East is on the “edge of an abyss” as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas, UN agency chief Philippe Lazzarini has told the BBC.

The commissioner-general of the UN relief agency UNRWA said violence could spill over across the region.

And he warned about the dire situation for civilians inside Gaza, calling again for humanitarian aid corridors into the territory.

We are in a situation where more than a million people have been asked to be displaced. So this amounts to collective punishment, and collective punishment is a violation of international humanitarian law.”

He added: “We call to the Israelis and to anyone relevant in this conflict to respect international humanitarian law. There is no exception for anyone.”

Speaking about the growing humanitarian crisis.

There is no water. You have four toilets for 4,000 people. They are living on the floor,” he said. “We are on the brink.”

“If there is no water anymore in the Gaza Strip, things will accelerate. And the disaster which is already unfolding under our eyes will become even worse,” Lazzarini said.

The UN has previously warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” unless aid can get into Gaza.

Lazzarini said that before Hamas’s attack on 7 October, around 500 trucks a day would carry aid, fuel and other goods into the Strip.