The tragedy in the Middle East over the past year has been "unrelentingly cruel", the UN said today on the occasion of the first year since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, DPA reported.
The bloody conflict between Israel and "Hamas" began on October 7, 2023, with the deadly attack by militants of the radical Palestinian group on Israeli territory. It was followed by an Israeli offensive in Gaza and an escalation of hostilities in Lebanon.
More than 1,200 people were killed when Palestinian fighters entered Israel and 251 hostages were taken to Gaza, with 97 still in captivity according to Israeli figures. According to the Health Ministry of "Hamas" the number of Palestinian victims of Israeli operations in the enclave has exceeded 41,000.
"Neither statistics nor words can convey the dimensions of the physical, spiritual and social devastation of what happened," said the acting head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya.
She called on EU member states to "exercise their influence" to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and human rights.
"They must also end impunity. There has long been a need for a ceasefire and lasting peace," Msuya added.