World, Middle East

UN chief welcomes Gaza ceasefire, hostage-prisoner swap

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for unhindered aid delivery to Gazans

Gizem Nisa Cebi  | 19.01.2025 - Update : 20.01.2025
UN chief welcomes Gaza ceasefire, hostage-prisoner swap

ISTANBUL 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed support on Sunday for the implementation of a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.

"I welcome the start of the implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza," Guterres stated in a post on X.

He emphasized the UN's readiness to assist, stating, "We stand ready to support this implementation & scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer."

The UN chief also stressed the importance of addressing obstacles to aid delivery, noting, "It is imperative that the ceasefire must remove the significant security & political obstacles to delivering aid."

Earlier, the Gaza ceasefire agreement finally took effect Sunday after a nearly three-hour delay, with Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, handing over three Israeli captives. As part of the agreement, 90 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons were expected to be released on the first day of the ceasefire.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, nearly 47,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, with over 110,700 injured in what Palestinian officials have called Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, according to local health authorities.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.