WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (KUNA) -- The UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres welcomed Wednesday's announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza following 15 months of war.
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, 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.
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." The Secretary-General 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.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's health authorities. (end) amm.ibi