By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN HEAD Antonio Guterres on Wednesday has welcomed the announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza after 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
He was speaking to the reporters in New York commended mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their dedicated efforts in brokering the agreement.
He said “Their unwavering commitment to finding a diplomatic solution has been critical in achieving this breakthrough.”
Guterres called on all relevant parties to uphold their commitments to ensure that the deal is fully implemented.
He noted that from the outset of the violence, he has called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Guterres stressed that the priority must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by the conflict.
He said the UN stands ready to support the implementation of the deal and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief.
“It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza so that we can support a major increase in urgent lifesaving humanitarian support. The humanitarian situation is at catastrophic levels,” he warned.
He called on all parties to facilitate the rapid, unhindered, and safe humanitarian relief for all civilians in need.
SG reiterated that the UN “will do whatever is humanly possible, aware of the serious challenges and constraints that we will be facing”.
He expects that these efforts will be matched by humanitarian organizations, the private sector and bilateral initiatives.
“This deal is a critical first step, but we must mobilize all efforts to also advance broader goals, including the preservation of the unity, contiguity, and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” he said.
He stressed that Palestinian unity is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability, in this regard.
Guterres emphasized that unified Palestinian governance must remain a top priority, he noted.
“I urge the parties and all relevant partners to seize this opportunity to establish a credible political path to a better future for Palestinians, Israelis, and the broader region,” he continued.
He highlighted the need to end the occupation and achieve a negotiated two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr. Guterres paid tribute to the civilians who have lost their lives in the conflict, including UN personnel and humanitarian workers.
The war in Gaza recently entered a third year, he noted..
Israel launched the military campaign following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on its territory. Some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken as hostages, with around 100 still being held.
According to Gaza’s health authorities over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began,.
Gaza has a population of over 2 million, and 1.9 million have been displaced, according to the UN Palestine refugee agency which is housing hundreds of thousands in its schools-turned-shelters.
Mr. Guterres has referred to UNRWA as the “backbone” of relief efforts in Gaza strip.
The agency has suffered immense losses as 265 staff members have been killed and its facilities have come under attack, it said.
The ceasefire announcement came as Israeli laws aimed to end UNRWA operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are due to take effect in the coming weeks. .
UN High Commissioner-General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini said at a meeting in Oslo focused on the two-State solution that “The agency’s collapse whether immediate or gradual will only compound the immense suffering in Gaza.”
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