The UN Secretariat building in New York. UN chief welcomes ceasefire, hostage release agreement in Gaza UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement to secure a ceasefire and release hostages in Gaza. He thanked the mediators – Egypt, Qatar and the United States – for their “committed efforts” to reach the agreement.
“Their unwavering commitment to finding a diplomatic solution was critical to achieving this breakthrough. I call on all parties concerned to honour their commitments and ensure the full implementation of this agreement,” the Secretary-General said in a statement.
The UN chief recalled that he had called for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages from the outset of the conflict.
The need to scale up humanitarian deliveries
“Our priority must be to alleviate the enormous suffering caused by this conflict. The United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of this agreement,” Guterres said, adding that the UN was also ready to scale up humanitarian aid deliveries to the Palestinians. He expressed hope that the ceasefire would help remove security and political obstacles to aid delivery across Gaza. He called the humanitarian situation in the Strip “catastrophic.”
“I call on all parties to facilitate the rapid, unimpeded and safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need. For our part, while we are aware of the serious challenges and constraints we will face, we will do our utmost,” the UN chief stressed.
The Agreement Is Just the First Step
Guterres called today’s agreement “an important first step.” “But we must mobilize all efforts to achieve broader goals, including maintaining the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Palestinian unity is essential to achieving lasting peace and stability, and I stress that unified Palestinian governance must remain the top priority,” the UN chief said.
He called on all stakeholders to seize this opportunity to find “a political path to a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and the region.”
“Ending the occupation and achieving a negotiated two-State solution, in which Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security, in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions and previous agreements, remains an urgent priority,” Guterres stressed.
He paid tribute to the civilians, including UN staff and humanitarian workers, who lost their lives during the conflict.
“The United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting all efforts that contribute to peace, stability and a more hopeful future for the people of Palestine and Israel, and for the entire region,” the UN chief concluded.
Human Rights High Commissioner’s Reaction
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed “tremendous relief” at the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and called for the swift implementation of the agreement.
“I am extremely relieved by the news of the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, and it is vital that this process continues,” said Volker Türk. “I call on the parties to the conflict and the countries that have influence over them to do everything possible to ensure the success of the next stages of the ceasefire, including the release of hostages, and ultimately to end the war completely.”
“My thoughts are with all those who have endured unbearable pain and suffering over the past 15 months, and I hope that no one ever has to go through this again,” the High Commissioner added.
Türk stressed the need to quickly rescue people and rebuild infrastructure in Gaza, which has been destroyed by ongoing Israeli bombing and fighting.
“Food, water, medicine, shelter and protection are the top priorities. “We have no time to waste,” he stressed.
UNICEF: “This step is long overdue”
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also welcomed the news of a ceasefire agreement between the parties to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
“This step is long overdue for the children and their families in Gaza who have endured more than a year of bombardment and deprivation, as well as for the Israeli hostages and their families,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “The war has taken a horrific toll on Gaza’s children, with at least 14,500 reported killed, thousands injured and some 17,000 left unaccompanied or separated from their parents.”
Russell recalled that the scale of humanitarian needs in Gaza is enormous. UNICEF and its humanitarian partners, she said, are ready to expand the range of measures to respond to this unprecedented crisis. The UNICEF chief expressed hope that the ceasefire will finally provide an opportunity to safely deploy a large-scale humanitarian operation in the Strip, which should include unimpeded access for all children and their families to essential food, health care, psychosocial support, clean water and education, as well as the resumption of commercial cargo transportation.
“The agreements reached must be strictly observed”
The President of the UN General Assembly expressed gratitude to Qatar, the United States and Egypt for brokering the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The agreements reached, Philemon Young stressed, must be strictly observed by all parties and lead to a long-term ceasefire.
“Over the past 15 months, tens of thousands of civilians have died in Gaza, millions have been forced to flee their homes, and civilian infrastructure has been subjected to massive destruction,” the statement by the President of the General Assembly says. “The killing of civilians must stop. All remaining hostages must be released. Humanitarian organizations must be immediately granted full, safe and unimpeded access to deliver sufficient humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Displaced Palestinians must be able to return home.”
The President of the UN General Assembly stressed that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved through endless violence and occupation. The international community, he believes, must take meaningful action to implement a two-state solution in accordance with international law, the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions.