From Sharm El-Sheikh, the Secretary-General welcomes the continuation of the ceasefire in Gaza

Secretary-General António Guterres – who is currently in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh to attend the peace summit – praised the governments of Qatar, Egypt, the United States of America and Turkey for their tireless mediation efforts. He acknowledged the indispensable role of the International Committee of the Red Cross in ensuring that all releases are carried out in a safe and humane manner.

A press statement issued by the Secretary-General’s spokesman said that people in Gaza and Israel – with the implementation of the ceasefire – began to see a fragile glimmer of hope for calm after months of devastation.

The statement stressed that the United Nations and its partners are urgently expanding the scope of operations throughout Gaza. UN agencies are reaching life-saving aid to communities that have been inaccessible for months.

The statement said that these efforts are an essential first step towards stabilizing the situation and restoring human dignity, but the needs are still enormous. He stressed the critical importance of providing sustained humanitarian access and funding.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations called on all parties to consolidate the ceasefire and transform it into lasting peace.

He appealed to regional and international parties to seize this moment, in order to relaunch a credible political process that could lead to the existence of two independent, democratic, sovereign states – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders on the basis of pre-1967 lines, and with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, in line with international law, United Nations resolutions and other relevant agreements.