He spoke to reporters following the announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, which could help end the two-year war in the devastated Palestinian territory.

The UN chief reiterated his call for all parties to “abide fully” by the terms of the agreement.

“But to turn this ceasefire into real progress, we need more than the silencing of the guns,” Guterres said, following months of calls from the body for Israel to stop obstructing the delivery of aid.

“We need full, safe and sustained access for humanitarian workers; the removal of red tape and impediments; and the rebuilding of shattered infrastructure.”

The UN is ready to provide full support, able to surge food, water, medical supplies and shelter “at once”, Guterres said.

“We and our partners are prepared to move now,” he said. “We have the expertise, the distribution networks, and community relationships in place to act.”

Last week, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the UN had 170,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid prepositioned in the region, ready to enter Gaza.

Guterres also called on all sides to seize the opportunity to “establish a credible political path forward”.

That would be “a path towards ending the occupation, recognising the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, and achieving a two-state solution”, he said.