Guterres hails Gaza ceasefire agreement as ‘important first step’

Speaking to reporters at United Nations Headquarters, António Guterres praised Egyptian, Qatari and United States mediators for their dedicated efforts in brokering the agreement.

“Their steadfast commitment to finding a diplomatic solution was critical to achieving this breakthrough,” he said. speak.

He called on all stakeholders to maintain their commitment to ensure the agreement is fully implemented.

Reduce suffering

Mr. Guterres noted that from the beginning of the violence, he called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Emphasizing that the top priority must be to alleviate the enormous suffering caused by the conflict, he said the United Nations stands ready to support the implementation of the agreement and scale up the provision of sustainable humanitarian relief.

“It is imperative that this ceasefire removes significant security and political obstacles to aid delivery across Gaza. so that we can support increased emergency humanitarian assistance,” he said, warning that “the humanitarian situation is at a dire level.”

Allow aid

The Secretary-General calls on all parties to facilitate rapid, unhindered and safe humanitarian relief for all civilians in need.

For my part, The UN “will do whatever is humanly possible, recognizing the serious challenges and limitations we will face”. He hoped that these efforts would be matched by humanitarian organizations, the private sector and bilateral initiatives.

‘Advancing broader goals’

“This agreement is an important first step, but we must mobilize all efforts to advance broader goals, including maintain the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territoryhe said.

Palestinian unity is essential to achieving lasting peace and stability, and he emphasized that unified Palestinian governance must continue to be a top priority.

“I call on the parties and all relevant partners to seize this opportunity to establish a credible political path towards a better future for Palestinians, Israel and the region,” he continued. wider area”.

He emphasized the need to end the occupation and achieve a negotiated two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

Remember the lives lost

Before concluding his speech, Mr. Guterres paid tribute to civilians who have died in the conflict, including United Nations staff and humanitarian workers.

The war in Gaza has just entered its third year.

Israel launched its military operation following Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023 on its territory. About 1,200 people were killed and 250 were held hostage, of whom about 100 are still being held.

According to Gaza health authorities, more than 46,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict began.

The threat of UNRWA is looming

According to the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, Gaza has a population of just over two million people and 1.9 million people have been displaced. UNRWAwhere hundreds of thousands of people stay in shelters converted into schools.

Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini welcome announced the ceasefire in a social media post, noting that “many have been hoping for this moment for the past 15 months.”

“What is needed is rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access and supplies to respond to the enormous suffering caused by this war,” he wrote.

The Secretary-General has repeatedly called UNRWA the “backbone” of relief efforts in Gaza. The agency suffered huge losses when 265 employees were killed and its facilities were attacked.

The ceasefire announcement comes as two Israeli laws aimed at ending UNRWA’s operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories come into force in just a few weeks.

“The agency’s demise – whether immediate or gradual – will only add to the enormous suffering in Gaza,” Mr. Lazzarini said earlier Tuesday at a meeting in Oslo focused on the two-state solution.

The killing ‘must stop’

Officials from across the United Nations system also welcomed the news about Gaza, where the war has long since ended. Chairman of the General AssemblyPhilemon Yang.

“The killing and maiming of civilians must stop. All remaining hostages must be released,” his spokesman said in a statement.

“Humanitarian organizations must immediately be given full, safe and unhindered access to provide much-needed assistance on a large scale to civilians in Gaza.”

Hope and humanitarian aid

For the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, the agreement brings much-needed hope to millions whose lives have been devastated by the conflict.

“In preparation, humanitarian agencies have mobilized supplies to scale up aid delivery across Gaza,” said Tom Fletcher. a statement from Ukraine, where the United Nations is assisting millions of people affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“We will do our best to respond with the ambition, creativity and urgency that these times require, despite the significant political and security challenges to our work..”

Remove all barriers

“We call Security Council use your collective voice and weight to insist that the ceasefire is maintainedInternational law is respected and obstacles to saving lives are removed,” the head of the UN relief agency added.

“We call on Member States to ensure that our humanitarian operations are funded to meet the overwhelming need. And we call for accountability for the atrocities committed.”

The UN is ready

The top humanitarian official in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, speak The UN stands ready to support the agreement and maximize the scale-up of aid in the best possible way,

“It is imperative that this agreement allows for a significant increase in aid delivery across Gaza so that we and our partners can deliver aid to the best of our abilities.”, he emphasized.

Childhood under attack

Head of the United Nations children’s agency UNICEFCatherine Russell, saidThe ceasefire agreement is “long overdue” – both for the children and families of Gaza, who have endured more than a year of bombing, and for the hostages and their families in Israel who have endured so much.

She outlined the war’s “terrible toll” on children in Gaza, 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 a million have had to flee their homes,

Call for responsibility

High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said he “extremely relieved by the news of the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, and it is imperative that it now maintain.”

He emphasized the need to pursue accountability and justice for the serious violations and abuses that have occurred.

“Those responsible for the atrocities of October 7, the subsequent illegal killings of civilians across Gaza and all other crimes under international law must be held accountable,” he said. .

Furthermore, the right of victims to full compensation must be respected, he added, noting that “there is no real path forward without honest truth-telling and accountability explanations from all parties.”