WASHINGTON
The UN’s humanitarian chief on Friday welcomed US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan for Gaza, saying it could pave the way for both the delivery of life-saving aid and the release of hostages.
“President Trump’s Gaza initiative opens a window of opportunity. It offers both a chance for Palestinians to receive life-saving aid at the scale urgently needed, and to bring the hostages home. We are ready and eager to act,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said in a statement.
He said the UN and its partners have more than 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, shelter material, and other essential supplies positioned to enter Gaza from across the region.
Fletcher stressed that the aid plan was proven effective during the last ceasefire, when agencies moved "with speed and scale" across the enclave.
“This nightmare has gone on too long. Every minute of delay brings more misery. But we now have a chance to deliver,” he said.
On Sept. 29, President Donald Trump, during a press conference with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a detailed plan calling to end Israel's brutal offensive in Gaza, followed by a comprehensive program for reconstruction and a reorganization of the enclave’s political and security situation. Trump set Sunday evening as the deadline for Hamas to accept his proposal.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years. It further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 66,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly amid widespread displacement.