UN chief urgently appeals for heightened humanitarian aid into Gaza amid severe hunger, mass displacement

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urgently called Thursday for increased humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip because of severe hunger, mass displacement and a crumbling humanitarian system.

"I call for rapid, safe, unhindered, expanded & sustained humanitarian access throughout Gaza," Guterres wrote on X.

"Everyone in Gaza is hungry. 1.7 million people have been displaced. The humanitarian system in collapsing," he said, highlighting the critical situation.

Israel has mounted a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since a surprise attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7. The Israeli onslaught has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians and injured over 66,000.

About 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.