U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday called on Israel to implement "real and extended pauses" in fighting in Gaza to allow for the delivery of aid to its war-ravaged population.

"We need to see real and extended pauses in large areas of Gaza, pauses in any fighting, any combat, so that the assistance can effectively get to people who need it," Blinken told reporters during a visit to Brussels, adding that Israel was taking steps to address the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.