As concern grows at mounting casualties, the heads of all major United Nations agencies have issued a joint statement expressing outrage at the civilian death toll in Gaza and calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, AFP reports.

“For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiralling numbers of lives lost and torn apart,” the UN chiefs said, including the heads of Unicef, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.

“We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now.”