United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Sunday that the situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating rapidly, calling again for a ceasefire to put an end to the "nightmare" of bloodshed.

“The situation in Gaza is getting more desperate hour by hour,” Guterres said during a visit to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, expressing his regret for “Israel intensifying its military operations instead of declaring a humanitarian truce supported by the international community in light of the dire need for it,” according to Agence France-Presse.

He stressed that "the number of civilians killed and wounded is completely unacceptable," as reported by the French Agency.

The Israeli army has been waging a devastating bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip since October 7 in response to an unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on Israel.