ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to abide by a US-brokered deal that has given many people hope that the two years of war may finally come to an end.
“The deal was agreed to by the warring parties. That’s what counts. The important thing now is that everyone abides by it,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told Rudaw during a press briefing on Thursday.
“The reality, let’s be honest, is that accountability in international conflict takes a long time,” he said.
Guterres has said that the agreement shows the “power and potential of diplomacy.”
The fragile 20-point deal was possible thanks to the pressure US President Donald Trump exerted on Hamas and Washington’s ally, Israel. Regional countries like Qatar, Egypt and Turkey also played key roles.
Trump’s plan, which has been approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, outlines a vision for the future of Gaza. It calls for a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” to temporarily govern the territory. The administration will be overseen by an international transitional body called the Board of Peace, chaired by Trump himself.
Palestinian Hamas launched a large-scale incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,170 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a massive offensive in Gaza, killing more than 67,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry. A UN commission has concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
Namo Abdulla contributed to this article.
