UN Secretary-General welcomes ‘desperately needed’ Gaza ‘breakthrough’

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, has welcomed the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.

“I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire & hostage release in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by the President of the United States,” Guterres said on X.

“I commend the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt & Türkiye in brokering this desperately needed breakthrough. I urge all concerned to abide fully by the terms of the agreement. All hostages must be released in a dignified manner. A permanent ceasefire must be secured. The fighting must stop once & for all. Immediate & unimpeded entry of humanitarian supplies & essential commercial materials into Gaza must be ensured. The suffering must end. The UN will support the full implementation of the agreement & will scale up the delivery of sustained & principled humanitarian relief, and we will advance recovery & reconstruction efforts in Gaza. I urge all stakeholders to seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, leading to a two-state solution to enable Israelis & Palestinians to live in peace & security. The stakes have never been higher.”

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza -  a ceasefire and hostage deal.