UN supports Gaza ceasefire, humanitarian aid

2025-01-20 12:37:14

(MENAFN) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed his support for the implementation of a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza.

"I welcome the start of the implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza," Guterres wrote in a post on X.

He reiterated the UN's commitment to assisting the process, stating, "We stand ready to support this implementation & scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer."

Guterres also highlighted the need to overcome barriers to aid delivery, adding, "It is imperative that the ceasefire must remove the significant security & political obstacles to delivering aid."

The ceasefire agreement officially began on Sunday after a delay of nearly three hours. Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, released three Israeli captives as part of the deal, while 90 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons were set to be freed on the first day.

Since October 7, 2023, the conflict has claimed nearly 47,000 lives, most of them women and children, and injured over 110,700 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who have described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocidal.

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