UN chief urges compliance Israel Hamas deal

By Gaby Mahlberg and Jörg Vogelsänger

New York (dpa) — UN Secretary General António Guterres on Wednesday called on all parties to adhere to the agreement reached between Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Hamas on the first phase of a US-backed Gaza peace plan.

“All hostages must be released in a dignified manner. A permanent ceasefire must be secured,” Guterres said in a statement on X, urging an end to fighting and immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian aid into Gaza. “The suffering must end,” he added.

Guterres praised diplomatic efforts by the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, which helped broker the deal at talks in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The United Nations would support full implementation of the agreement, expand humanitarian aid and assist reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Guterres said.

The UN chief also encouraged both sides to seize “this momentous opportunity” to advance a two-state solution that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. “The stakes have never been higher,” he said.

The two-state solution envisages an independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully alongside Israel. Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas currently reject such an outcome.

UN relief chief calls for swift Gaza access

The UN’s emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, called for immediate access to Gaza following the breakthrough in negotiations. “Let’s get the hostages out and surge aid in – fast,” he wrote on X.

“Our teams are fully mobilised to get the trucks moving at scale and save lives,” he added, noting that safe access was needed to carry out the operation.

US President Donald Trump announced earlier that Israel and Hamas had reached agreement on the first phase of his peace plan during indirect talks in Egypt.

Under the deal, all hostages held in Gaza are to be released, while Israel will withdraw its troops to a mutually agreed line. Hamas confirmed the agreement.