NEW YORK: The humanitarian situation in Gaza, already critical, is now “fast becoming untenable,” UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement.

There is no power, water or fuel in Gaza, and food is running dangerously low, Griffiths said, urging all countries with influence to use it to ensure respect for the rules of war, and avoid further escalation.

The actions and rhetoric by Hamas and Israel in the past few days is “extremely alarming, unacceptable,” Griffiths said.

Civilians and civilian infrastructure must protected, he said.

BEIRUT: Lebanon on Saturday said it will file a complaint to the UN over the Israeli cross-border fire that killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdullah and wounded six others the previous day.

The Foreign Ministry asked Beirut’s mission to the UN to raise concerns over what it described as a “flagrant violation and a crime against freedom of opinion and press.”

Abdullah’s funeral in his hometown on Saturday was attended by hundreds of people.

GENEVA: The massive Hamas attack on Israel cannot justify the “limitless destruction” of the Gaza Strip, the Red Cross said on Friday, as it called for pauses in the fighting.
Its statement came as Israel’s army warned residents in north Gaza to flee south ahead of an expected ground offensive.
“Nothing can justify the horrific attacks Israel suffered last weekend,” said a statement from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

LONDON: Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad on Friday stressed the importance of providing humanitarian relief, food, water, electricity, medical aid, and civilian protection in the Gaza Strip, state-run news agency BNA reported.

During a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the capital, Manama, he emphasised his country’s support for the de-escalation of violence and peace efforts to promote regional security and stability.

NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said that moving more than 1 million Palestinians through an overcrowded war zone that is under blockade to an area that is short of food, water and shelter would be “extremely dangerous and simply not possible.” He stopped short of calling on Israel to halt its assault on the besieged territory but said “even wars have rules.”