‘Potentially apocalyptic’: stark UN warning if Gaza war spreads

Palestinian Territories – AFP

The outgoing United Nations humanitarian chief warned Wednesday that a spread of Israel’s war on Gaza to Lebanon would be “potentially apocalyptic”.

Martin Griffiths described Lebanon as “the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints”, especially its southern border with Israel which has seen daily cross-border violence since October last year.

“It’s beyond planning. It’s potentially apocalyptic,” warned Griffiths whose term as UN humanitarian coordinator ends this week.

A war involving Lebanon “will draw in Syria… it will draw in others”, he told reporters in Geneva. “It’s very alarming.”

Germany on Wednesday echoed a Canadian warning from the day before, urging their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country.

“German nationals are urgently requested to leave Lebanon,” updated foreign ministry advice in Berlin said.

“The current heightened tensions in the border area with Israel could escalate further at any time.”

On Tuesday, Ottawa advised Canadians to leave Lebanon “while they can”.

The UN’s Griffiths spoke as witnesses reported intense fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, amid the fears of a wider war.

With the conflict nearing its 10th month, Israel’s top ally the United States warned of the risk of a major conflict with Hezbollah following an escalation in threats after months of cross-border fire.

“Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his visiting Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.

“Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation,” Austin said.

Gallant said: “We only fight those who seek to harm us.”

He also said “significant progress” had been made in addressing Israeli concerns about the flow of US weaponry.

Netanyahu has publicly accused US President Joe Biden’s administration of slowing down the weapons deliveries, claims officials in Washington have repeatedly denied.

Top Israeli officials, including the premier, have indicated openness to a diplomatic resolution of the Lebanon border tensions, though Gallant said Israel should be ready for “every possible scenario”.

Israel’s military said last week plans for a Lebanon offensive had been “approved and validated”, prompting new threats from Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Mohammad al-Mughayyir, a civil defence official in Gaza, told AFP rescuers had recovered 15 bodies “from various areas in Rafah city”.

– Aid group ‘outraged’ –

The civil defence agency and medics said at least four people, including three children, were killed in a strike on a house in Beit Lahia, in the north.

An air raid on Tuesday killed Fadi al-Wadiya, an employee of medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

MSF posted on X that it was “outraged” by the killing in Gaza City of Wadiya and “five other people including three children” as he cycled to work.

UN and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that aid workers are not safe in Gaza, impeding their desperately needed efforts delivering aid for Gaza’s 2.4 million people.

In Cyprus, USAID officials said just 1,000 tonnes of the 7,000 tonnes of aid shipped to Gaza had been distributed because of looting and security problems.