A UN official has warned that “an even more hellish scenario” looms in Gaza in which humanitarian aid simply grinds to a halt, according to AFP.

“The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist,” said Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories.

Since the end of a seven-day truce, Israeli forces have pushed into southern Gaza, “forcing tens of thousands… into increasingly compressed spaces, desperate to find food, water, shelter and safety,” Hastings said.

“Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go.”

“If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond,” Hastings said in a statement.