Office chief of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the calamitous situation endured by two million Palestinians in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza enclave.

Speaking during a meeting held by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to observe the International Day in Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti stressed the importance of addressing "the immense" suffering of civilians in Gaza .

Viotti said some two million Palestinians in Gaza live in poverty and unemployment, with restricted access to healthcare, education and basic services, and are impacted daily by Israeli-imposed closures.

She said Palestinians in Gaza have the right to protest peacefully to demand their legitimate rights, urging Israeli forces to exercise maximum restraint and abide by their responsibilities under international law.

The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is an annual observance designated by the UN General Assembly on December 2, 1977, to commemorate its adoption of a resolution on November 29, 1947, to partition the mandate of Palestine into two states.