Egyptian leader blames Israel for 'unprecedented' crisis in Gaza

Jordan's King Abdullah (R) meets with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" Conference. The conference is organized by Jordan, Egypt and the UN. It aims to find ways in which the international community can respond more effectively to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Chris Setian/Royal Hashemite Court RHC/dpa

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said on Tuesday that Israel is directly responsible "for Gaza's unprecedented humanitarian crisis" and that "it is a deliberate result of a destructive war of revenge against the strip."

Israel must stop using hunger as a weapon and allow flow of aid into the Strip, he said during a humanitarian conference taking place by the Dead Sea in Jordan.

UN emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths said that the UN estimates that $2.5 billion are needed to provide aid for people in the Gaza Strip between April and the end of the year.

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