Children queue for food at a public kitchen in Deir el-Balah, Gaza. Gaza: UN welcomes agreements and prepares for large-scale humanitarian operation Peace and Security
The United Nations will provide full support in Gaza after a ceasefire agreement is reached between Israel and Hamas. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this on Thursday, speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first stage of his 20-point peace plan after several days of indirect negotiations in Egypt. According to Trump, Hamas has agreed to release all hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to the “agreed line” is also envisaged. Hamas’s political leadership called on the international community to ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement, including the release of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the event “a great day for Israel.”
“A ray of hope”
“I call on all parties to fully comply with the terms of the agreement – and to take full advantage of the opportunities that arise,” the UN Secretary-General emphasized.
“We and our partners are ready to act – right now,” added Guterres. The UN, he said, “has the experience, logistics networks and established relationships with communities to get the ball rolling.”
At the same time, Guterres noted that “real progress” requires more than just a stop to hostilities: “We need full, safe and sustainable access for humanitarian workers; removing bureaucratic barriers and obstacles; restoration of destroyed infrastructure. And member states must ensure that humanitarian efforts are adequately funded to meet the enormous needs.”
General Assembly President Annalena Burbock called the ceasefire announcement between Israel and Hamas “a ray of hope after more than 700 days of death, destruction and despair.” She stressed the need for full implementation of the agreements, the release of all Israeli hostages and ensuring the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid. Burbock thanked the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their mediation and noted that a permanent ceasefire could pave the way for peace based on a two-state solution – ensuring Israeli security and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Joy and hope in Gaza
Gazans and Israelis greeted the news of a possible agreement with jubilation, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Department emphasizes that it is necessary to immediately deliver assistance to the most vulnerable groups of the population – and in the required volumes.
“We, of course, really hope for everything that this opportunity will give us: the opportunity to carry out our plan, which we have had for a long time,” OCHA employee Olga Cherevko, who is in the enclave, told the UN News Service.
According to her, the UN Office is ready to deliver to Gaza and distribute among the population essential goods such as food, medicine, tents and “everything that people need.”
“No amount of humanitarian aid can replace peace,” Cherevko emphasized.
Warehouses outside Gaza have already stocked some 170,000 tons of food, medicine, shelter and other essential goods, ready for delivery as soon as the agreement takes effect.
Agency support UN
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the agreement, stressing that the priority remains “the release of hostages and the urgent expansion of humanitarian assistance.”
“Our teams are fully mobilized to quickly move truck convoys and save lives. They need safe access,” he said.
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also confirmed that WHO is “ready to expand its activities in the sector to support the reconstruction of Gaza’s collapsed health system,” while noting that patients’ needs remain “extremely large.”
World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain stressed that “unconditional humanitarian access is essential to deliver life-saving food and aid.” Lazzarini called the agreement a “huge relief” for everyone affected by the war: “It will bring respite to people who have suffered the worst of two long years – bombing, displacement, loss and suffering. After an unbearable ordeal, the hostages and Palestinian prisoners will finally be reunited with their families. first phase of the ceasefire and stressed that all states must “work together to ensure that the truce plan is implemented in good faith.” he declared. right.”