Expanded Israeli military operation in Gaza may trigger "another calamity": UN official

Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, speaks at a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Aug. 10, 2025. Jenca warned Sunday that Israel's decision to take over Gaza City may trigger another calamity in Gaza. (Evan Schneider/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- A UN official warned Sunday that Israel's decision to take over Gaza City may trigger another calamity in Gaza.

"We are already witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe of unimaginable scale in Gaza," said Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas. "If these (Israeli) plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region and causing further forced displacement, killings, and destruction, compounding the unbearable suffering of the population."

For now, there are limited official details of Israel's military plans. However, according to Israeli media reports, the government foresees the displacement of all civilians from Gaza City by Oct. 7, 2025, affecting some 800,000 people, many of them previously displaced. Reports indicate that the Israel Defense Forces would then surround the city for three months. This would then reportedly be followed by an additional two months to seize control of central Gaza's camps and clear the entire area of Palestinian armed groups, Jenca told a meeting of the Security Council.

"The UN has been unequivocal: the only way to stop the immense human suffering in Gaza is through a full, immediate, and permanent ceasefire," he said.

All hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, allowing rapid, safe, unimpeded and large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid to the population. Civilians, including humanitarian workers and those seeking aid, must be protected, he said.

There is no military solution to the armed conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said Jenca. "There will be no sustainable solution without an end to Israel's unlawful occupation and the achievement of a viable two-state solution. Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a Palestinian state," he said. ■