Gaza escalation to have ‘devastating consequences’: UN envoy

ISTANBUL

United Nations Special Envoy Tor Wennesland has warned against the "devastating consequences" of the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Palestinians in Gaza.

"I am deeply concerned by the ongoing escalation between Palestinian militants and Israel," Wennesland said in a statement.

The UN envoy described the escalation as "very dangerous" and called on "all sides to avoid further escalation."

"The responsibility is with the parties to avoid this [escalation] from happening," he added.

At least 11 Palestinians were killed and 80 others injured when the Israeli army launched airstrikes on the seaside territory on Friday.

The attacks came amid rising tensions across the Palestinian territories since Monday when Israeli forces detained Bassam al-Saadi, a senior leader of the Islamic Jihad group, in a raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.

The Israeli army has imposed restrictions on the Gaza Strip, including the closure of border crossings with the Palestinian territory, amid fears of a retaliatory response from the Islamic Jihad group to the arrest.

The Israeli army said Saturday that over 160 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, with 60 of them intercepted. The military warned that its airstrikes in Gaza may last for a week.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar