The ceasefire in Gaza started on January 19th, 2025 at 11:15 a.m. local hour, as reported by ANSAit. Consequently, hostages, from both parts, started to be released, following the three steps planned. This also allows convoys of food trucks to enter the Strip and deliver food and humanitarian aid. António Guterres supports this ceasefire and affirms that the UN will continue to sustain and implement humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Immediately after the ceasefire took effect, three Israeli hostages were released by Hamas and, with the help of the Red Cross, brought back to Israel. On the other hand, around 90 Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel, with their families expecting them in the town of Betunia, in the West Bank region. Those releases are the first step in a swap that is supposed to last until the end of the truce of 42 days. However, during this first release of Palestinians, The New York Times reports that the Israeli military attacked at least three Palestinian villages.
The UN World Food Programme immediately instructed trucks to enter Gaza from Egypt and Israel, with the task of delivering vital food supplies to the civilians facing starvation. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher affirms that this ceasefire will be used to bring the necessary humanitarian aid to those in need in the Srip. He affirmed that more that 630 trucks entered Gaza with this imperative.
The truce is the result of long negotiations between the two parties, thanks to the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the US. It took 15 months since the start of the hostilities on October 7, 2023. The first Palestinian attack killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. This fired Israel's response that killed 46,000 Palestinians since that, and destroyed most of the strip. Since then, humanitarian aid has had difficulties to reach the strip to bring food and health assistance to more than two million people.
CNN World reports that the local government stated that 70% of the roads are destroyed and 60% of the residents have no access to water supply. Therefore, its priority is to reopen and secure the essential services, calling international organizations to cooperate providing all the technical assistance needed.
To read more, please visit:
- https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/mondo/mediooriente/2025/01/19/gaza-la-tregua-in-vigore-dalle-1015_ba07879b-bbd3-4655-872f-da41c0114c27.html
- António Guterres su X: "I welcome the start of the implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. We stand ready to support this implementation & scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer. It is imperative that this" / X
- Israehttps://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/19/world/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire
- http://www1.wfp.org/
- https://www.unocha.org/news/ceasefire-heralds-moment-tremendous-hope-says-un-relief-chiefus hope," says UN Relief Chief | OCHA
- https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-ceasefire-war-gaza-01-20-25-intl-hnk#cm64s6gjv00003b6o28w4zwt5
