GENEVA

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Thursday welcomed the announcement of the first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, saying the agency stands ready to scale up its support in Gaza.

"I welcome POTUS' (US President Donald Trump's) announcement about the ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release — it is indeed a big step towards lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said through the US social media company X.

Tedros said he hoped "all parties will respect the agreement," so that civilian suffering ends and hostages are brought home.

"WHO stands ready to scale up its work to meet the dire health needs of patients across Gaza, and to support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system," he concluded.

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

The 20-point plan, first announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children.

The relentless bombardment has left Gaza largely uninhabitable, leading to widespread starvation and disease.