The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the release and transfer of three hostages out of Gaza to Israel, and 90 Palestinian detainees from Israel to the occupied Palestinian territory.
Nearly one third of children in Lebanon – 29% - began the new year facing crisis levels of hunger, with some pushed into child labour to support their families, said Save the Children after new data showed an almost 5% increase in child hunger in the past three months.
While the ceasefire in Gaza has finally been announced, in the past months people across the Strip have continued to suffer from Israeli forces' relentless bombardments. The northern governorate of Gaza in particular has been under siege and subject to horrific bombing and attacks.
For our part, the United Nations will do all we can to advance these efforts — in particular, to scale up humanitarian aid across Gaza, fully aware of the significant obstacles, challenges and constraints that we still face.
As the ceasefire violations persist and the needs remain high, it is vital to ensure timely assistance for the vulnerable people returning to their destroyed villages and those still displaced.
The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the Gaza ceasefire, hostage and prisoner release deal, which brings hope for millions of people whose lives have been ravaged by the conflict.
ترحب منظمة الصحة العالمية بصفقة وقف إطلاق النار في غزة وإطلاق سراح الرهائن والسجناء، وهي خطوة إلى الأمام تبث الأمل في نفوس ملايين الأشخاص الذين دمّر النزاع حياتهم.
With 10 days until the end of the 60-day period for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, its airstrikes and demolitions continue, a senior United Nations official warned the Security Council today, underscoring that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers must be allowed to carry out their mandated tasks without obstruction.
Relief International welcomes the news of a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the organization says it is deeply distressed that 70 people have been killed and 200 wounded since the agreement was announced yesterday.
While Lebanon made significant political strides with the election of a new president on 9 January, ending more than two years of presidential vacancy, and the designation of a new prime minister, humanitarian needs and response challenges remain extensive.
Oxfam welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire, with the initial agreement on the release of Israeli hostages and some of the Palestinian detainees, and the temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after 15 months of a relentless war.
News of an agreement between Hamas and Israel is a rare moment of hope after more than 15 months of unprecedented and relentless atrocities – but the big test will be what happens next, whether it is adhered to, and whether a temporary pause becomes permanent.
HI welcomes the recently agreed ceasefire and urges all parties to uphold their commitments to peace and release the hostages. This development offers an important opportunity to address the immense suffering caused by the last 15 months of conflict.
The ceasefire agreement for Gaza will provide some desperately needed respite for the millions of people who have been suffering during the relentless conflict of the last 15 months, including the hostages and their families who have been anxiously waiting to have them back home.
A pause in hostilities in Gaza will protect children from bombs and bullets for as long as it holds but must be the turning point to secure a definitive ceasefire and to rapidly increase humanitarian aid to children facing malnutrition and disease, said Save the Children.
Israeli authorities and Hamas agreed to a multi-phase ceasefire on January 15, 2025, that includes the entry into Gaza of humanitarian aid, the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
