Gaza truce not enough: UN head

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said having a deal just for a Gaza ceasefire was "not enough" and stressed that any truce needs to lead to a long-term solution with rights for Palestinians alongside Israelis.

Speaking with reporters on Monday, Guterres described the situation in Gaza as "horrific" and unparalleled.

"We all condemned the horrible, terrible attacks of Hamas. But what we are witnessing in Gaza is a level of death and destruction that has no parallel in recent times," said Guterres.

He said it was something that "undermined the most basic conditions of human dignity for the population of Gaza" and of "the enormous suffering that they are having".

"We absolutely need a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. And I hope that the parties are able to overcome the difficulties that they still find for that ceasefire to take place," said Guterres.

"But this ceasefire is not enough. It is essential that that ceasefire leads to a solution. And that solution can only be possible if both Palestinians and Israelis can have a state where they can exercise their rights," he added.

United States President Donald Trump said on Monday he hoped a Gaza ceasefire deal would be "straightened out over the next week".

EU foreign ministers on Tuesday discussed options for action against Israel over the conflict — but looked unlikely to agree on any, AFP reported.

The European Union is seeking updates from Israel on the implementation of a new deal to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to Kaja Kallas, the bloc's foreign policy chief.

Hassan Rashad, head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service, held Gaza ceasefire talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and Palestinian and Israeli delegations, Ahram Online reported on Monday.

The meetings were reportedly part of Egypt's ongoing efforts to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and overcome remaining obstacles to reaching a ceasefire.

Both Egypt and Qatar agree on the urgency of securing a ceasefire, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and facilitating the release of captives and detainees.

Yet, a Palestinian source told AFP that Israel's insistence on keeping the forces in Gaza has stalled a proposed 60-day pause in fighting.

Israel has submitted a new series of maps to mediators in Doha, Qatar, on Monday, that include a further pullback of its forces within Gaza during the 60-day truce under discussion, The Times of Israel reported, citing an Arab diplomat.

It said Hamas was still reviewing the updated Israeli proposal and would likely need a day or two before responding.

Elsewhere, officials from more than 30 countries were set to meet in Bogota, Colombia, on Tuesday and Wednesday to define legal and diplomatic actions to end the war in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank, Al Jazeera reported.

The meeting is convened by The Hague Group and co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa "in response to the escalating violations of international law in Palestine, including the crime of genocide", according to a statement from the Colombian government.

Children killed

The head of the UN's child rights agency urged Israel to review its rules of engagement in Gaza after seven children were killed while waiting for water at a distribution point over the weekend.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell noted that the incident came just days after several women and children were killed while lining up for nutritional supplies.

More than 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition last month in Gaza, including more than 1,000 children with severe acute malnutrition, an increase for the fourth month in a row, according to UNICEF.

The UN rights office said on Tuesday it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks at aid points in Gaza run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and convoys run by other relief groups, including the United Nations.

In a joint statement on Saturday, several UN agencies warned that the fuel shortage in Gaza "has reached critical levels".

"When fuel runs out, it places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of starvation," the statement said.

Agencies contributed to this story.