UN Secretary-General calls for continued ceasefire in Gaza

NEW YORK, Mar. 01 (YPA) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday stressed the importance of the continuation of the ceasefire agreement and the release of detainees in Gaza, noting that the coming days will be decisive.

Guterres called on all parties to make every effort to ensure the continuity of the agreement, adherence to it, and its full implementation.

He emphasized the need to avoid any long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza, urging the importance of preserving the Gaza Strip as an integral part of an independent, democratic, and sovereign Palestinian state.

The UN chief also stressed the need to deal with Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including al-Quds (Jerusalem), as one entity under the leadership of a unified Palestinian government.

In a related context, a Palestinian leader stated today that the Cairo negotiations did not succeed in paving the way for moving to the second phase of negotiations, explaining that “diplomatic efforts did not convince Israel to participate in the next phase.”

The leader stated that “the resistance will not hand over any prisoner except within the framework of a comprehensive agreement,” highlighting its complete rejection of any Israeli blackmail attempts.

YPA