The UN Prepares to Enter Gaza with Humanitarian Aid
HAVANA TIMES – As soon as the ceasefire in Gaza takes effect, United Nations agencies are ready to enter and expand food, medical, shelter, water, and other humanitarian assistance in the Strip, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Thursday, October 9.
“The entire world has waited far too long for this moment. I urge all parties to fully comply with the terms of the agreement and to take full advantage of the opportunities it offers,” Guterres stated.
Negotiators from Israel and the Islamist militia Hamas agreed to begin implementing a plan to end the war, which over two years has claimed nearly 70,000 lives, reduced most of Gaza to rubble, and displaced 90% of its more than two million residents amid enormous deprivation.
Street celebrations broke out in both Israel and Gaza following the announcement of the agreement, even as columns of smoke continued to rise over Gaza City in the northern part of the Strip—signs that bombings were still taking place. The Israeli army, however, reported that it was preparing some withdrawals.
The first phase of the plan includes a ceasefire, the return within 72 hours of Israeli hostages held by Hamas—around 20 still alive and the bodies of another 28 who died in captivity—in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
US President Donald Trump, who presented the draft of the agreement on September 29 in Washington in support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he may travel to the Middle East this weekend, coinciding with the expected release of the hostages.
Guterres emphasized that all hostages must be released with dignity and underscored that “a permanent ceasefire must be ensured.” He reiterated that the UN stands ready to provide its full support and insisted that the bloodshed must end.
“We are ready to act now. We have the experience, distribution networks, and community relationships needed. Supplies are available, and our teams are prepared,” he said.
The UN chief also warned that “for this ceasefire to translate into real progress, we need more than silencing the guns.”
“We need full, safe, and sustained access for humanitarian personnel; the removal of bureaucratic hurdles and obstacles; and the rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure,” he stated.
He also called on UN member states “to ensure that humanitarian operations have adequate funding to meet the immense needs”—both for immediate relief to Gaza’s population and later for the material and institutional reconstruction of the Strip.
Guterres mourned all the lives lost, including those of UN staff and other humanitarian partners, and paid tribute to the organization’s workers “who continue to serve with courage and compassion under extremely dangerous conditions.”
For the long term, he urged that this “momentous opportunity be seized to establish a credible political path for the future,” one that ends the Israeli occupation, recognizes the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, and achieves a two-state solution.
Finally, Guterres commended the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, affirming that the agreement demonstrates the power and potential of diplomacy. “Solutions to conflicts are not found on the battlefield; they must be forged at the negotiating table,” he said.
Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for the agreement to be implemented in good faith, “with the immediate goals of ending the killing, hunger, and destruction, and ensuring the return of hostages and Palestinians arbitrarily detained.”
“Furthermore, there must be a comprehensive process of transitional justice, with accountability for the serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” Türk stressed.
The High Commissioner added, “the ultimate purpose of this process must be the realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the guarantee that Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace and security.”
First published in Spanish by IPS and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.