UN alarmed about Gaza humanitarian 'tragedy'

"We are concerned that with international attention focusing on Lebanon, the tragedy in Gaza is being forgotten," the UN said in a statement.

The Israeli military has waged a month-long offensive in the coastal strip following the killing of two soldiers and an abduction of a third by Gaza militants on June 25.

At least 163 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed in the offensive, according to an AFP count, and much of the densely-packed territory's infrastructure has been destroyed, including its one power plant.

"The United Nations humanitarian agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory are deeply alarmed by the impact continuing violence is having on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza," said the UN statement.

The UN said that according to its figures, 175 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, including approximately 40 children and eight women. More than 620 Palestinians have been wounded, the statement said.

On the Israeli side, UN estimates that one soldier has been killed and 25 wounded, including 11 from homemade rockets fired from Gaza.

"All parties to the conflict are obliged to protect civilians during hostilities," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Israel's overnight bombing of highway bridges in northern Lebanon and strikes at a Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut paralyzed aid convoys on Friday and relief workers warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Israeli jets destroyed three bridges on the main coastal highway linking Beirut to Syria, stalling an eight-truck convoy carrying food, shelter material and other aid to the estimated 900,000 Lebanese displaced by the three-week-old war.

Astrid van Genderen Stort, senior information officer for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said the bombing had shut down the major relief pipeline for supplies travelling to the hardest-hit areas in the south.