New York, 6 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) — UN Secretary General António Guterres described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a "crisis of humanity."

He called for the immediate release of the hostages who have been held by militants in Gaza for nearly a month and said a humanitarian ceasefire must be implemented by Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Only around 400 lorries with relief supplies had been able to enter the Gaza Strip in the past two weeks, the UN chief lamented. Before the war, around 500 per day entered the Palestinian territory.

Urgently needed fuel - which is vital to keeping hospitals open - could not be brought in at all, Guterres told journalists in New York on Monday.

Gaza is "becoming a graveyard for children," he said.

The UN's emergency response agency said late last week that $1.2 billion was needed to meet the urgent needs of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

This is four times the amount first requested by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in early October, shortly after Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel and Israel's military response.

The UN chief expressed his deep concern about increasing anti-Semitism and growing hatred against Muslims.

He also said that the conflict threatened to widen.

"We are already witnessing a spiral of escalation from Lebanon and Syria to Iraq and Yemen. This escalation must stop." he said.

"Cool heads and diplomatic efforts must prevail."