Heads of 18 UN agencies and NGOs call for immediate ceasefire

The heads of 18 UN agencies and NGOs have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire. 

"An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship. This is unacceptable," they wrote in a letter on Monday. 

"Scores of aid workers have been killed since October 7 including 88 Unrwa colleagues - the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict."

The signatories went on to call for all parties to respect international law, and for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held hostage. 

 "More aid - food, water, medicine and of course fuel - must enter Gaza safely, swiftly and at the scale needed, and must reach people in need, especially women and children, wherever they are," they said. 

"We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It's been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now." 

The signatories included the heads of Unicef, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation and Save the Children.