The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said Israel had blocked him from entering the conflict-ridden and besieged Gaza Strip where the UN has warned of impending famine.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said he had “intended to go into Rafah today, but was informed my entry had been declined”, speaking in a Cairo joint press conference with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Lazzarini later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he had been denied entry by “Israeli authorities”, a claim Israel did not immediately comment on.

Israeli authorities did not respond to an AFP request for comment, but government spokesman Avi Hyman earlier reiterated what he called Israel’s position, that “UNRWA is a front for Hamas”.