UN human rights chief Volker Turk has said Israel showed an unprecedented disregard for human rights in its military actions in Gaza, while also saying Hamas had violated international law, Reuters reports.

“Nothing justifies the appalling manner in which Israel has conducted its military operations in Gaza which consistently breached international law”, said Turk, while presenting a new report on the human rights situation in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“The level of devastation in Gaza is massive — from homes, to hospitals to schools”, Turk said, adding that “restrictions imposed by Israel … have created a humanitarian catastrophe”.

Israel did not send a delegate to take to the floor to share their comments, which the representative of Chile said was regretful.

Israel previously denied allegations of war crimes and breaches of international law in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, insisting that its operations targeted Hamas and aimed to reduce civilian harm.