United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed in his announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza following 15 months of war, on Jan. 15, 2025.
He also welcomed the start of the ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza on Jan. 19, as UN humanitarian convoys brought in urgently needed food aid to begin pulling the war-ravaged territory back from starvation.
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, Antonio Guterres commended mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their dedicated efforts in brokering the agreement.
“Their unwavering commitment to finding a diplomatic solution has been critical in achieving this breakthrough,” he said. He called on all relevant parties to uphold their commitments to ensure that the deal is fully implemented.
Secretary-General Guterres noted that from the outset of the violence, he has called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Stressing 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,” he said, warning that “the humanitarian situation is at catastrophic levels.”
Sec.-Gen. called on all parties to facilitate the rapid, unhindered, and safe humanitarian relief for all civilians in need.
For its part, 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.
Palestinian unity is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability, and he emphasized that unified Palestinian governance must remain a top priority.
“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. Before concluding his remarks, Guterres paid tribute to the civilians who have lost their lives in the conflict, including UN personnel and humanitarian workers.
On Jan. 19, of the ceasefire and hostage release was took in Gaza, as UN humanitarian convoys brought in urgently needed food aid to begin pulling the war-ravaged territory back from starvation.
“We stand ready to support this implementation and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer,” the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a social media post. He added, “It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid.”
According to news reports, three Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released and transferred by the Red Cross back to Israel, as the first phase of the ceasefire deal took effect. Reports suggest that later on Sunday, Israel is expected to release some 90 Palestinian prisoners. On mid-January, Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the three-phase ceasefire comes 15 months after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken as hostages, with around 100 still being held.
Israel launched the military campaign following the Hamas-led attacks on its territory. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, according to Gaza’s health authorities,
The Gaza strip has since been devastated and its two million inhabitants left in dire need of food and other necessities.
The ceasefire and the implementation of the first phase was hailed by the United Nations as a crucial step toward peace and toward alleviating the immense suffering endured by the Palestinian population. Gaza has a population of just over two million, and 1.9 million have been displaced, according to the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, which is housing hundreds of thousands in its schools-turned-shelters. Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the ceasfire announcement in a post on social media, noting that “many have been hoping for this moment for the past 15 months.” “What’s needed is rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access and supplies to respond to the tremendous suffering caused by this war,” he wrote.
“The agency’s collapse – whether immediate or gradual – will only compound the immense suffering in Gaza,” Mr. Lazzarini said earlier at a meeting in Oslo focused on the two-State solution on Jan. 14.
The Secretary-General has repeatedly referred to UNRWA as the “backbone” of relief efforts in Gaza. The agency has suffered immense losses as 265 staff members have been killed and its facilities have come under attack. The ceasefire announcement comes as two Israeli laws aimed at ending UNRWA ‘s operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are due to take effect in mere weeks.
In a separate statement, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher highlighted the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza following the ceasefire. “As the ceasefire entered into force today, humanitarian aid moved into Gaza as part of a prepared surge to increase our support to survivors. More than 630 trucks with humanitarian aid entered Gaza today, with at least 300 of them going to the north.”
He acknowledged the challenges faced in delivering aid, stressing the importance of safety for civilians and aid workers. Fletcher, who heads up the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed gratitude towards UN teams and partners, emphasizing their courage and creativity in preparing for this moment. “I urgently call on countries with influence over the parties to ensure that this lifesaving aid reaches those who need it most,” he said.
Officials from across the UN system have also welcomed the news on Gaza, where the end of war has been long overdue, according to the President of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang.
“The killing and maiming of civilians must stop. All the remaining hostages must be released,” his Spokesperson said in a statement.
“Humanitarian organizations must immediately be given full, safe and unhindered access to deliver badly needed assistance in large scale to the civilian population in Gaza.”
For the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, the agreement offers much-needed hope to millions whose lives have been devastated by the conflict.
“In preparation, humanitarian agencies have been mobilizing supplies to scale up aid delivery across Gaza”, Tom Fletcher said in a statement from Ukraine, where the UN is assisting millions impacted by Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“We will do our utmost to respond with the ambition, creativity, and urgency this moment demands, despite the significant security and political challenges to our work.” He added, “We urge the Security Council to use its collective voice and weight to insist the ceasefire is sustained, international law respected, and that obstacles to saving lives are removed.” “We urge Member States to ensure that our humanitarian operations are funded to meet the overwhelming needs. And we call for accountability for the atrocities committed,” the UN relief chief added.
The top humanitarian official in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, said the UN stands ready to support the agreement and maximize the scale-up of aid as best it can. “It is imperative that this deal allows a significant increase in aid delivery across Gaza so that we and our partners can provide aid to the best of our ability,” he stressed.
The head of UN children’s agency UNICEF, Catherine Russell, said the ceasefire deal is “long overdue” – both for the children and families of Gaza who have endured more than a year of bombardment, and for the hostages and their families in Israel who have suffered so much.
She outlined the war’s “horrific toll” on Gaza’s children, with at least 14,500 dead and thousands more injured. Furthermore, an estimated 17,000 boys and girls are unaccompanied or separated from their parents, and nearly one million have been displaced from their homes.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said he was “hugely relieved by the news of the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza, and it is imperative that it now holds.” He emphasized the need to pursue accountability and justice for the grave violations and abuses that have been committed. “Those responsible for the heinous acts of Oct. 7, the subsequent unlawful killings of civilians across Gaza, and for all other crimes under international law must be held to account,” he said.
Furthermore, the rights of victims to full reparations must be upheld, he added, noting that “there is no true way forward without honest truth-telling and accountability on all sides.”
After the ceasefire went into effect on Jan. 19, many displaced Palestinians began gradually returning to see what is left of their homes.
Shadi Jumaa Abu Sheha returned to Nuseirat in central Gaza, only to find the dwelling he had built mostly with his own hands “is no longer a home, it is a ruin.” He was accompanied by a UN News correspondent in Gaza as he assessed the extent of the damage, which had left some of the rooms in ruins, their interiors now open to the weather. Still, Shadi was relieved that “the bloodshed has stopped”, telling our correspondent: “This is an indescribable feeling. Thank God we survived this war unharmed. But I cannot describe the extent of the destruction…I do not know what to say.”
For its part, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) acted swiftly, with convoys entering Gaza on Jan. 19, from Egypt and via Ashdod, Israel. The ceasefire has allowed the agency to bring in urgently needed food supplies at an unprecedented scale, aiming to stave off starvation in the war-torn region, the agency said in a press release.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain emphasized the critical nature of this initiative, noting that the agency’s goal is to deliver at least 150 truckloads of food into Gaza daily. “After 15 months of war, we need all border crossings to stay open and function efficiently, effectively and reliably. And we need humanitarian teams to be able to move freely and safely across Gaza to reach those in need.”
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed its support for the ceasefire and highlighted the monumental health challenges that lie ahead. The conflict has left a devastating toll: more than 46,600 people killed, over 110,000 injured, and a health system in disarray, the agency said in a press release.
WHO underscored the urgent need for billions in investment to restore the health infrastructure, calling for the unwavering commitment of donors and the international community. The UN health agency and its partners plan to implement a 60-day plan focusing on trauma and emergency care, primary health care, child health, and other critical areas.
“WHO calls on all parties to uphold their commitment to fully implement the ceasefire agreement and to continue working towards a political solution to address the protracted crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, which is essential for lasting peace.” the agency said.★
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I don’t like the method which Israel using now.