TEHRAN- United Nations chief Antonio Guterres again has called on Israel to immediately allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli authorities continue to block dozens of Palestinians from exiting the war-ravaged enclave to seek medical treatment.

Guterres made the appeal on Tuesday, as more than 100 sick and injured Palestinians congregated at the newly reopened Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, hoping to access medical care abroad, Al Jazeera reported. 

“I also call for the facilitation of rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief at scale – including through the Rafah crossing,” Guterres said during an address at UN headquarters in New York.

Raed al-Nims, spokesperson for the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), says the organization was informed o Wednesday morning that the evacuation of patients and wounded via the Rafah crossing has been cancelled.

“Unfortunately, a few minutes ago, we were … informed that the evacuation process for today has been cancelled,” he told Al Jazeera from Khan Younis.

He said the procedure should have seen sick and wounded arrive at the Red Cross Society hospital for preliminary medical checkups before being transferred by ambulance to the Rafah crossing, then to Egyptian hospitals or elsewhere.