Deputy United Nations Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Ramiz Alakbarov, warned on Wednesday of the continued deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory "to levels we have not seen in modern history," calling for a political process to end the Israeli occupation and achieve a two-state solution.

In a speech during a session held by the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue, Alakbarov stated, "Now, Gaza, 22 months into the war, is sinking deeper into a catastrophic situation with increasing civilian casualties, mass displacement, and famine."

He warned that "there is no end in sight to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, despite mediators' efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of hostages, but that remains elusive."

He affirmed that the United Nations is working tirelessly with its partners to assist the population in Gaza, noting that security risks are extremely high and current adaptation measures are entirely inadequate, "which hinders relief operations."

The UN official also spoke about the situation in other Palestinian areas, stating that the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is also facing an unprecedented crisis characterized by an accelerated pace of Israeli settlement construction and the demolition of Palestinian homes, which undermines any prospects for peace.

He added, "The situation there continues to deteriorate dangerously, shrinking the space for the establishment of a future Palestinian state, while the reality of a single state based on illegal occupation and ongoing violence is rapidly advancing."

The Deputy UN Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process concluded his speech before the Security Council by stating that this alarming picture "compels us to act with determination to change the current course, starting with a ceasefire and the release of all hostages."

For her part, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, began her speech by pointing out the occurrence of famine in Gaza Governorate and the expectation of its expansion to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of next month, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Msuya reviewed the numbers reflecting the reality in Gaza, citing that hundreds of thousands of civilians are currently facing severe hunger, deprivation, and death.

The UN official stressed that international humanitarian law prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare, concluding her speech by stating that "failure to act now will lead to irreversible consequences," and calling on the Security Council and all member states to work towards ensuring an immediate and lasting cessation of hostilities in Gaza.