Israel-Hamas agreement to release hostages and cease-fire in Gaza is ‘an important step in the right direction, but much remains to be done’“, said a representative of the UN Secretary General today.

Antonio Guterres “welcomes the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas with the mediation of Qatar supported by Egypt and the US”, underlined the representative of the Secretary General of the organization in a short statement released in Geneva.

“The United Nations will mobilize its full potential to support the implementation of the agreement and maximize its positive impact on the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the spokesman added.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also welcomed the deal in a post on Xbut he also insisted that “this is not enough to put an end to the suffering of civilians”.

He also called for the release of all hostages and, pending that, the provision of care to all those who remain hostages.

He further called for “a ceasefire” that would actually allow aid to be delivered to the people of Gaza in a lasting and safe manner.

Israel and Hamas today announced the conclusion of an agreement that provides the release of 50 hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a four-day ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

About 240 people were kidnapped by Hamas in the Gaza Strip during its bloody attack on Israeli soil on October 7, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

The Israeli military has since pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation, with the death toll reaching more than 14,000, according to the Hamas government.