UPDATE - UN chief welcomes Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal

ADDS MORE REMARKS FROM UN CHIEF

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement in the Gaza Strip.

"I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire & hostage release in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by @POTUS," Guterres said on the US social media company X’s platform.

His remarks came right after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza deal.

"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," Guterres said.

- 'Fighting must stop once & for all'

Guterres said all hostages must be released in a "dignified manner" and 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," he stressed.

The UN will support the full implementation of the agreement and will scale up the delivery of sustained and principled humanitarian relief, he said, adding the UN will also advance recovery and 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," he added.