Gaza Herald – UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Thursday for an immediate transition to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, stressing that this stage requires a full Israeli withdrawal from the besieged enclave.
Guterres said the next phase must go far beyond the entry of food aid, calling for a comprehensive humanitarian response and a serious reconstruction process to address the vast scale of destruction across Gaza.
He also urged an end to settlement expansion, demolitions, and forced evictions, and demanded decisive action to curb settler violence in the occupied West Bank, reaffirming his commitment to defending the two-state solution against ongoing Israeli efforts to undermine it.
The UN chief emphasized that meaningful pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure compliance, singling out the United States as the actor with the greatest leverage to influence the process.
His remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the establishment of a so-called “Peace Council” and the formal launch of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Trump’s 20-point plan, adopted by the UN Security Council under Resolution 2803 in November 2025, outlines the second phase through three parallel frameworks: the Peace Council, a Palestinian technocratic committee, and an international stabilization force.
