Speaking at a press encounter, Guterres emphasized that the latest report on food insecurity in Gaza paints a distressing picture of the conditions faced by civilians on the ground.

According to the report, more than half of all Palestinians in Gaza, totaling 1.1 million people, have depleted their food supplies and are now facing catastrophic hunger.

Guterres described this as the highest number of people facing such dire circumstances ever recorded by the Integrated Food Security Classification system.

Attributing the crisis to man-made factors, Guterres stressed that urgent action is needed to address the situation. He called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and urged Israeli authorities to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza.

Highlighting the imperative for international support, the UN Secretary-General emphasized the need for swift action to prevent further escalation of the crisis.

"We must act now to prevent the unthinkable, the unacceptable, and the unjustifiable," concluded the UN official, underscoring the urgency of the situation in Gaza. (ILKHA)