The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday it was pausing deliveries of life-saving food aid to northern Gaza until conditions are in place that allow for safe distributions.

"The decision to pause deliveries to the north of the Gaza Strip has not been taken lightly, as we know it means the situation there will deteriorate further and more people risk dying of hunger," the UN food agency said in a statement. "WFP is deeply committed to urgently reaching desperate people across Gaza but the safety and security to deliver critical food aid – and for the people receiving it – must be ensured."

WFP will seek ways to resume deliveries in a responsible manner as soon as possible, the statement added.