Cairo, – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday a ceasefire is needed to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and provide protection for civilians.

Food, water, fuel and medicine are needed immediately and in a sustainable manner, Guterres said at a press conference in Cairo.

He stressed that what is required is not a small operation, but rather a sustainable effort, in which those responsible for humanitarian relief should be able to enter and distribute aid in complete safety.

The Secretary-General expressed his shock at the images of death and destruction he witnessed at the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, stressing the need to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians, and to prohibit attacks on hospitals, schools or UN facilities in accordance with international law.

He added that his visit to the Middle East comes within the framework of a humanitarian mission at a moment of deep crisis that the region has not witnessed for decades.

Guterres said that he is following the UN efforts to provide massive support to the residents of Gaza, warning against prolonging the current crisis, and amplifying the risks of the conflict.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the number of martyrs in Gaza and the West Bank had risen to 3,859 martyrs, since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people on Oct. 7.

Source: Qatar News Agency