“Even wars have rules,” the UN secretary-general said Friday ahead of a Security Council meeting on the situation in Israel and Gaza, demanding “immediate” humanitarian access to the besieged Palestinian enclave, AFP reported.

“The situation in Gaza has reached a dangerously low level,” Antonio Guterres told reporters, describing a “health care system on the verge of collapse,” “overflowing morgues” and a “water crisis” in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“After several days of airstrikes, the Israeli military ordered Palestinians in and around Gaza City to leave the south of the territory,” he said.

“Moving over a million people through a densely populated war zone into an area without food, water or shelter while the entire area is under siege is extremely dangerous and sometimes impossible,” he said.

Earlier, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric reiterated the UN’s call to “rescind the evacuation order”, saying António Guterres was in “constant contact” with the Israeli authorities “to urge them to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe”.

“Nothing came for six days. One of my colleagues from UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestine refugees) told me on the phone that he had not seen a single drop of water for six days. We have almost reached the bottom of the bag,” said Stéphane Dujarric.

Asked about the 24-hour deadline, the Israeli army said the evacuation “will take time,” Stephane Dujarric said he could only relay what was said at the UN. “Time is of the essence,” he insisted.

“We need immediate humanitarian access to all of Gaza to deliver fuel, food and water to all who need it,” Antonio Guterres insisted. “Even wars have rules.”

“International humanitarian law and human rights law must be respected and implemented; civilians must be protected and not used as shields,” he added, reiterating his call for the immediate release of “all hostages” held by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday.

The Secretary General also expressed concern about the risk of escalation of hostilities in the region.