RIYADH: Six Saudi trucks carrying food aid for Gaza crossed the Rafah border crossing, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The humanitarian consignment, provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, is destined for the Gaza Strip as part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing campaign to deliver vital assistance to the Palestinian people.

A worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza and immediate action is needed to avoid widespread death, a hunger monitor warned on Tuesday, as the number of Palestinians reported killed in the conflict crossed the 60,000 threshold.

Facing mounting international criticism over conditions in Gaza, Israel announced steps over the weekend to ease aid access. But the World Food Programme said on Tuesday it was not getting the permissions it needed to deliver enough aid since Israel began humanitarian pauses on Sunday.

Gaza health authorities have been reporting more and more people dying from hunger-related causes. The total stands at 147, among them 88 children, most of whom died in the last few weeks.