The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called on Tuesday for the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing, following its closure a few days ago by the Israeli army.

Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in press statements, "The Secretary-General is horrified by the escalation of military activity in and around Rafah by Israeli forces."

He added, "These developments in Rafah lead to obstructing the arrival of humanitarian aid and exacerbating the already deteriorating situation."

Dujarric stressed that "civilians must be respected and protected at all times, in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza. There is currently no safe place for the residents of Gaza."

He explained that Guterres calls for "the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing," stressing that there must be "unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Gaza."

The UN Secretary-General also renewed his “urgent” appeal for “an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds and the release of all hostages.”

The crisis of humanitarian aid and fuel supplies entering the Gaza Strip worsened after Israel launched a military operation in Rafah, on May 6, and took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafaa land crossing on May 7, preventing the entry of relief aid through it.

This comes while, on May 5, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing on the border with Gaza, coinciding with military operations that put many hospitals and medical facilities out of service in all areas of the Strip.

With the closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, there are no longer any land outlets for aid to enter Gaza. This has led to an escalation in the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza from a severe shortage of food and vegetables, which threatens to deepen “famine” in the Strip, according to warnings from international relief organizations.