Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, has waned that conditions faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip may amount to the “gravest international crimes”.

In remarks read out on his behalf at a Cairo conference aimed at increasing humanitarian aid to the Strip, Guterres urged the international community to “build a foundation for sustainable peace in Gaza and across the Middle East”.

Guterres highlighted the devastating toll of the conflict and the urgent need for international action. “Malnutrition is rampant… Famine is imminent. Meanwhile, the health system has collapsed,” he lamented, Al Jazeera reported.

The besieged enclave now has “the highest number of children amputees per capita anywhere in the world”, with “many losing limbs and undergoing surgeries without even anesthesia”, the UN chief added.

The world’s top diplomat criticized the severe restrictions on aid delivery, calling the current levels “grossly insufficient”.

The blockade of aid “is not a crisis of logistics” but rather “a crisis of political will and of respect for fundamental principles of international humanitarian law,” Guterres said.