UN, Arab League chief discuss Gaza ahead of Arab summit in Bahrain

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held talks with Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Thursday ahead of the opening of the annual Arab summit in Manama, Bahrain.

The discussions between the two sides dwelt on the situation in the Gaza Strip, Sudan and Syria, Guterres' office said in a statement.

Arab League spokesman Jamal Rushdie said the meeting focused on the deteriorating conditions in Gaza amid a deadly Israeli offensive and the prevention of aid supplies into the enclave.

The Gaza conflict is expected to dominate the agenda of the Arab summit as Israel continued its offensive that killed more than 35,270 people and injured 79,200 others since last October following a Hamas attack.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of "genocide" at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.