The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, said on Friday that the “tragic humanitarian conditions” in Gaza “require a qualitative leap in the delivery of life-saving aid” to civilians in the besieged and devastated Strip.

Guterres told reporters, "What is required is to bring about meaningful change on the ground. It does not require a modified version of continuing business as usual, but rather a real qualitative shift."

The Israeli army admitted to committing "serious mistakes" that led to the death of seven aid workers in an air strike in Gaza, while Tel Aviv announced that it would allow more aid to enter the devastated Strip, whose residents are facing a famine-like situation.

International pressure on Israel is increasing daily, especially since the killing of seven members of the World Central Kitchen organization - a Palestinian and six foreigners - in a raid in the middle of the Gaza Strip.

"In the wake of this tragedy, the Israeli government informed the United Nations of its intention to allow a significant increase in humanitarian aid distributed in Gaza. I truly hope that these intentions will be realized effectively and quickly because the situation in Gaza is extremely miserable," Guterres added.

The Secretary-General stressed that after six months of war, “we are on the verge of an abyss: severe mass starvation, the outbreak of a regional war, and a complete loss of confidence in global standards and rules.”

He continued, "It is time to step back from this brink, to silence the guns, to relieve the terrible suffering and to stop a possible famine before it is too late."