U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had taken action on implementing a set of U.S. demands on enabling more humanitarian assistance to reach people who need it in Gaza, but more was needed.

The top U.S. diplomat’s visit to the region came as humanitarian conditions rapidly deteriorated in the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli military forces besieged hospitals and shelters for displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday as they stepped up their operations, preventing critical aid from reaching civilians,