The UN's secretary general Antonio Guterres says he is shocked by what he says are "misinterpretations" of his comments about Israel's bombardment and blockade of the Gaza strip.
On Wednesday, Guterres said the Hamas attacks in southern Israel had not "happened in a vacuum and there was no justification for the Hamas attacks".
Israel has threatened to deny visas to UN officials, and Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan has called for Antonio Guterres to resign, accusing him of "expressing an understanding for terrorism and murder".
Air strikes are continuing to hit Gaza where the Health Ministry in the Hamas controlled territory says 6,500 people have been killed 2,700 of them children.
Israel says more than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7.
A third of hospitals have shut down and the remainder are now down to the barest of emergency services with the territories fuel supplies exhausted after Israel's fortnight long siege of the territory.
On Wednesday night, eight trucks carrying food water and medicine crossed the border with Egypt but Israel has banned fuel from entering the territory saying Hamas would use it for military purposes.
Palestinian foreign affairs minister, Riad Al-Maliki, yesterday told the United Nations' Security Council that more killing and deaths would not make Israel safer.
At the same meeting, Israel's foreign affairs minister Eli Cohen rejected calls for a ceasefire.
Israel is now refusing to issue visas for UN officials, including the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths.
On Wednesday, New Zealand urged the Security Council to implement a humanitarian pause, corridors for water, food, fuel, medicines and other basics of life, and designated safe areas that are strictly off-limits as targets or military bases.
Our interview requests to caretaker Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and permanent representative to the UN Carolyn Schwalger were unsuccessful.
