May 24, Kathmandu- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that the war in Gaza has reached its most painful and brutal stage yet. After Israel eased a tight siege that had been in place for some time, relief supplies began to enter Gaza. But the situation has become even more dire after more than 15 trucks carrying aid were looted en route.

The Gaza Strip has been in the grip of war for a long time. Due to the war, there is a shortage of food and medicine. Israel has launched a major military operation again, aiming to destroy the group Hamas. On Friday alone, Israeli airstrikes killed 16 people and injured many more in various parts of Gaza, according to the Gaza Civil Defense Department.

Guterres said, "The people of Gaza are living in what is probably the most brutal situation of this war."

He has requested Israel to allow the shipment of relief supplies to flow smoothly. According to him, only 115 trucks out of about 400 trucks have reached Gaza so far.

"The relief so far is like pouring a drop of water on a fire that is burning everywhere. While Gaza needs a huge amount of help."

The World Food Programme said 15 trucks carrying aid were looted in southern Gaza. The trucks were delivering food to a local bakery to bake bread. The organisation said the situation was becoming increasingly precarious, with hunger, despair and fear of aid not arriving. It urged Israel to allow aid to enter more quickly and in greater quantities.

The Israeli military said it had targeted weapons warehouses, military bases and militant hideouts in Gaza. The army said that bombs were dropped from the sky at more than 75 locations. Israeli settlements along the border with Gaza are also on alert due to fears of rocket attacks.

Three health workers were injured in an Israeli drone attack on al-Awda hospital in the north of Gaza. AFP journalists saw collapsed buildings and black smoke rising from the rubble in southern Gaza.

The war began again on March 5, when Israel renewed its offensive against Hamas. Since then, 3,673 people have been killed in Gaza. A total of 53,822 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began in November, most of them civilians.