The head of the UN says that the situation in Gaza is apocalyptic

The head of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said on Monday that the situation in Gaza is "apocalyptic" and warned that the conditions faced by the Palestinians in that territory could constitute "the most serious international crimes".

Releasing a statement at the conference in Cairo, with the aim of increasing humanitarian aid, Guterres has called on the international community to "build the foundations for a lasting peace in Gaza, and throughout the Middle East".

The war in Gaza erupted after attacks by Hamas - the group declared a terrorist by the United States and the European Union - in southern Israel in October last year, killing more than 1.200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.

As a result of Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza, more than 44.000 people have been killed, according to data from the Palestinian health authorities.

"Malnutrition is at its peak. The health system has collapsed", he said.

The UN chief has said that Gaza now has "the largest number of children with amputated limbs", and that "many of the children are undergoing operations without anesthesia".

The Secretary General of the UN has also been critical of the severe restrictions on the delivery of aid.

According to the UN's Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA), only 65 aid trucks per day managed to enter Gaza last month, compared to around 500 before the war.

International aid organizations have repeatedly reiterated that the situation is alarming and risks worsening in Gaza, and that civilians are suffering the most.

According to Guterres, the blockades for aid entering Gaza are not a consequence of the "logistics crisis", but of the "lack of political will to respect the basic principles of international law".

Several efforts by the United States and other powers to end this war have failed. /REL/