UNITED NATIONS - Israel needs to address urgently "catastrophic conditions" among Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip and stop "intensifying suffering" by limiting aid deliveries, its ally the United States told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

Referring to reports of squalid conditions in south and central Gaza, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: "These catastrophic conditions were predicted months ago, and yet, have still not been addressed. That must change, and now."

"We call on Israel to take urgent steps to do so," she said in a blunt statement.

ALSO READ: Chinese envoy: UN Security Council resolutions binding for all states

The 15-member Security Council met over the humanitarian crisis a year after a deadly attack by Palestinian militants Hamas on southern Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Israel has since laid to waste much of the enclave and almost the entire population of 2.3 million has been displaced.

Israel says Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, while health authorities in Gaza say nearly 42,000 people have been killed so far during Israel's retaliation.