United Nations, Aug 29 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Israel's initial steps to militarily take over Gaza City signal a new and dangerous phase with devastating consequences.

"Hundreds of thousands of civilians -- already exhausted and traumatized -- would be forced to flee yet again, plunging families into even deeper peril. This must stop," he told reporters ahead of a Security Council meeting on Thursday.

Guterres called for accountability for "unconscionable Israeli strikes," including the two attacks on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis earlier this week, which killed civilians, including medical personnel and journalists, "all with the world watching."

The levels of death and destruction in Gaza are without parallel in recent times, he said.

Famine is no longer a looming possibility. It is a present-day catastrophe, said Guterres. "People are dying from hunger, yet Gaza's food, water and healthcare systems have been systematically dismantled."

"These are the facts on the ground. And they are the result of deliberate decisions that defy basic humanity," he noted.

He said that Israel must ensure the provision of food, water, medicine and other essentials, in addition to agreeing to and facilitating far greater humanitarian access to Gaza, as well as protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, Xinhua news agency reported.

The United Nations and partners are doing all they can, often at great personal risk. Up to 366 UN personnel have tragically been killed. Humanitarian efforts are being blocked, delayed and denied. "This is unacceptable," he said.

The situation in the West Bank is also profoundly alarming, said Guterres.

Military operations, settler violence, demolitions and discriminatory policies are driving displacement and deepening vulnerability. The relentless expansion of settlements is fracturing communities and cutting off access to vital resources, he said.

Israel's recent approval of a plan for the construction of thousands of settlements in the E1 area (bordering the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim in the occupied West Bank) would effectively separate the northern and southern West Bank, representing "an existential threat to the two-state solution," the UN chief warned.

"The Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem have been established -- and are being maintained -- in violation of international law. Israel must cease such actions and comply with its obligations," he said.

There is no military solution to the conflict, said Guterres, appealing again for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Starvation of the civilian population must never be used as a method of warfare, civilians must be protected, and humanitarian access must be unimpeded, he said.

"No more excuses. No more obstacles. No more lies," he pleaded.

/IANS