UN chief welcomes ceasefire deal, urges stronger humanitarian efforts

China

UN chief welcomes ceasefire deal, urges stronger humanitarian efforts

2025-10-10 04:46 Last Updated At：14:47

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in the Gaza Strip and vowed the full support of the United Nations in ending the bloodshed in the region and restoring vital humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

"We have all waited far too long for this moment, now we must make it truly count. I urge all parties to fully abide by the terms of the agreement and to fully embrace the opportunities it presents. All hostages must be released in a dignified manner, a permanent ceasefire must be secured, the bloodshed must stop once and for all, and the United Nations will provide its full support," he said at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.

Guterres said the United Nations and its partners were fully prepared to act, and had the necessary expertise, distribution networks and community relationships already in place.

Supplies were ready and teams were on standby to immediately scale up food, water, medical and shelter assistance, Guterres said.

"To turn this ceasefire into real progress, we need more than the silencing of the guns. We need full, safe and sustained access for humanitarian workers, the removal of red tape and impediments, and the rebuilding of shattered infrastructure. And we need Member States to ensure that humanitarian operations are properly funded to meet the immense needs," he continued.

"We must never forget the unbearable human costs of this conflict. I mourn all of the lives lost, including United Nations personnel and humanitarian workers, and pay tribute to our colleagues who continue to serve with courage and compassion in conditions of extreme risk," he said.

The Secretary-General voiced his support for the agreement in a social media post on Wednesday, urging all concerned to fully abide by its terms.

Israel and Hamas announced on Thursday that they had agreed a Gaza ceasefire deal, offering a tentative path toward ending the two-year conflict that has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, injured almost 170,000 others, and left the enclave in ruins.

The deal on the "first phase" of a U.S.-backed peace plan, coming after intense negotiations in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States, outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal, while establishing mechanisms for prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid delivery.

"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman

The "soft landing" of the China-EU electric vehicle case will greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment, a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

He Yongqian, the spokeswoman, made the remarks after China and the European Union (EU) agreed on the necessity of providing general guidance on price undertakings for Chinese companies exporting battery electric vehicle (BEV) passenger cars to the EU.

"China and the EU simultaneously announced on Monday that they had achieved positive outcomes following multiple rounds of consultations on the EV case, a development that has drawn wide attention at home and abroad. Industry players from both sides have 'highly welcomed and fully endorsed' the outcome, saying the 'soft landing' of the case is expected to greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment. Some EU politicians have described it as a positive step toward building a sustainable China-EU trade relationship, and said it demonstrated that resolving trade differences through partnership remains feasible," she said.

"Against the current international backdrop, China and the EU, acting in a spirit of mutual respect and within the framework of WTO rules, have properly addressed the EV case, which is of significant positive importance. The outcome will not only contribute to the sound development of China-EU economic and trade ties and help safeguard the stability of the global automotive industrial and supply chains, but will also send a clear and strong signal that both sides are willing to uphold a rules-based international trading order, setting a good example for countries to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and injecting greater certainty and positive energy into global economic growth," she said.

"China appreciates the spirit of dialogue showed by the EU side and stands ready to work with the EU, building on the current positive outcomes, to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides, maintain dialogue and communication, and support stable industrial and supply chains on both sides, continue to deepen cooperation on the basis of market principles, and make active contributions to the global green transition," she added.