BEIRUT — Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said his staff have described intense destruction after visiting the Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank.

"Another war goes unnoticed," Lazzarini said Thursday.

"What was once a bustling area with markets and life lays in destruction now" as part of the Israeli forces' impact, Lazzarini added. He said buildings and roads have been destroyed, and water and electricity networks have been dismantled.

"People are sinking into poverty," he said on X.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.

Lazzarini went on to say: "All over the West Bank, the story repeats: fear, uncertainty and anxiety engulf the communities."

He said Palestinian armed groups are also causing instability.

"Any further escalation in the area + Israeli settlements expansion will further push away from a peaceful solution to this decades-long conflict," Lazzarini warned.

Violence has risen in the occupied West Bank since Israel declared its war on Hamas and continued to strike Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces are conducting operations in Rafah against Hamas militants "in a targeted and precise way" with "accurate intelligence," according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief spokesperson Daniel Hagari.

The military "has gained a lot of experience in conducting precise operations in complex areas and targeted raids against Hamas based on accurate intelligence," he said.

"Hamas is in Rafah, Hamas has been holding our hostages in Rafah, which is why our forces are maneuvering in Rafah," Hagari said.

He described the operation as a "critical mission" to bring back all hostages home and to ensure "an enduring defeat of Hamas."

Hagari repeated his call to civilians in Gaza "to temporarily evacuate to humanitarian areas," but did not provide further details.

"We're not smashing into Rafah, we're operating carefully and precisely," Hagari said.

"The IDF is committed to operating in accordance with international law and will continue to keep that commitment," he added. — CNN