UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stressed the need for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to boost humanitarian aid to the enclave.

Guterres told reporters on Friday that "a humanitarian ceasefire is the only way to begin to meet the desperate needs of people in Gaza and end their ongoing nightmare."

He added that Friday's Security Council resolution "may help this finally to happen but much more is needed immediately."

Guterres called on Israel to ensure aid staff can work in safety, saying that "the real problem is that the way Israel is conducting this offensive is creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid inside Gaza."