HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement yesterday by US President Trump, intended to achieve a ceasefire and sustainable peace for Gaza and for the region," said a statement by Guterres' spokesperson office.

Hailing the "important role of Arab and Muslim states in working to this end," Guterres also noted that "it is now crucial that all parties commit to an agreement and its implementation."

The UN chief further reiterated "that our priority must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict."

"He once again reiterates his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and he hopes that this will create the conditions allowing for the realization of the two-state solution," it said.

The statement also expressed the UN's "steadfast" commitment to supporting all efforts towards "peace, stability, and a more hopeful future for the people of Palestine and Israel and across the region."

Trump outlined key points of his Gaza ceasefire plan at a news conference on Monday, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC.

The 20-point plan includes the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, the disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas, and the formation of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee to temporarily govern the enclave, among other provisions.

The Israeli army has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.