UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the start of the ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, expressing the UN's readiness to support the implementation of the agreement and expand the scope of relief provision.’It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza,’ Guterres stressed in a statement on the UN website.In a related context, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said that with the ceasefire coming into effect on Sunday, humanitarian aid was transferred to Gaza as part of a pre-arranged increase to support survivors.Fletcher explained that more than 630 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid entered Gaza yesterday, and at least 300 of them headed north. He added that there is no time to waste, after 15 months of continuous war, the humanitarian needs have become staggering.He urgently called on countries with influence on both sides of the conflict to ensure that this life-saving aid reaches those who need it most.
