UN Secretary-General's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said that Israel continues to reject efforts to deliver aid to the northern Gaza Strip.

Dujarric said in press statements that most UN-led aid missions to northern Gaza, especially those trying to reach besieged areas, are rejected.

Dujarric said that the Israeli authorities had again rejected on Tuesday three humanitarian aid missions by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which had planned to bring food and water to parts of besieged northern Gaza.

He added: "The United Nations has tried to reach the besieged areas 40 times since the beginning of December, and was refused 38 times."

Dujarric stressed the need to protect civilians in Gaza and meet basic humanitarian needs, calling on Israel to facilitate the work of the United Nations and its relief partners in the region.