UN secretary general António Guterres  has called on all parties to adhere to the reached agreement between Israel and Hamas on the first phase of a U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan.

“All hostages must be released in a dignified manner. A permanent ceasefire must be secured,” Mr Guterres said in a statement on X on Thursday, urging an end to fighting and immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian aid into Gaza. “The suffering must end.”

Mr Guterres praised the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, which helped broker the deal at talks in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The United Nations would support full implementation of the agreement, expand humanitarian aid, and assist reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Guterres said.

The UN chief also encouraged both sides to seize this momentous opportunity to advance a two-state solution that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.

“The stakes have never been higher,” he said.

The two-state solution envisages an independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully alongside Israel.

Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas currently reject such an outcome.

(dpa/NAN)