UNITED NATIONS, January 16. /TASS/. The UN is unable to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip due to ongoing bombardment of the enclave, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on his X page.

"We can’t effectively deliver humanitarian aid while Gaza is under heavy, widespread & unrelenting bombardment. We need: security; an environment where staff can work in safety; necessary logistics and the resumption of commercial activity," he said, adding that "nowhere and no one is safe in Gaza" at this point.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated following an incursion of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7. Hamas has cast the attack as a response to Israeli actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and started a military operation there. Israel also strikes parts of Lebanon and Syria in retaliation for bombardments originating from these countries. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.