Israeli authorities have denied the UN access to the closed Rafah crossing, the main entry point for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said Tuesday.

Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, said there was only a one-day buffer of fuel to run humanitarian operations inside the besieged Palestinian territory.

"We currently do not have any physical presence at the Rafah crossing as our access ... has been denied by COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories)," he said, referring to the Israeli agency that oversees supplies into the Palestinian territories. "We have been told there will be no crossings of personnel or goods in or out for the time being. That has a massive impact on how much stock do we have."