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Why the UN Called the Gaza Ceasefire a First Step

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the January 2025 Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal a critical first step because it created an opening for releases and humanitarian relief but did not itself deliver a permanent ceasefire, release every hostage or establish a political settlement.

Timeline

  1. 2025-01-15: The deal was announced and the UN Secretary-General called it a critical first step.
  2. 2025-01-19: The ceasefire and hostage-release arrangement entered its first phase.
  3. 2025-01-20: The UN reported initial hostage releases and expanding humanitarian deliveries.
  4. 2025-03-01: The first phase ended amid UN calls to prevent renewed hostilities and secure a permanent ceasefire.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the January 2025 Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release agreement as a ‘critical first step’ because it opened a path to immediate relief without resolving the conflict’s larger issues. His January 15 statement welcomed the deal, credited mediation by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and called on the parties to implement their commitments. The wording was supportive but deliberately limited. [1][2]

The first phase was expected to stop fighting temporarily, enable releases and create better conditions for humanitarian assistance. When implementation began on January 19, the UN reported the release of three Israeli hostages and an increase in food convoys entering Gaza. Guterres said the United Nations was ready to support implementation and scale up sustained relief, while stressing that security and political obstacles to aid still had to be removed. [2][3]

Calling the agreement a first step also recognized what it did not complete. The Secretary-General continued to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access. A phased deal necessarily depended on later negotiations and compliance. Initial releases and a temporary pause were concrete outcomes, but they did not guarantee that every phase would be agreed or carried out. [1][4]

The UN connected the ceasefire to broader political goals that lay outside the immediate exchange and relief arrangements. Guterres referred to preserving the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, establishing unified Palestinian governance and creating a credible path toward a negotiated two-state solution. Those aims required sustained political action, so the ceasefire could be an opening rather than a complete settlement. [1][5]

Humanitarian conditions were another reason for caution. The World Health Organization said only half of Gaza’s hospitals were partially operational at the start of the ceasefire and described enormous needs in trauma care, rehabilitation, primary care, nutrition and medical evacuation. A pause could allow supplies and services to expand, but damaged facilities, displacement and access restrictions could not be reversed by the announcement alone. [6]

Events at the end of the first phase underscored the warning in the phrase. On March 1, the Secretary-General called the six-week reprieve fragile but vital and urged the parties to find a way into the next phase. The UN said thousands of aid trucks had entered and assistance had reached nearly everyone in Gaza, while still insisting that a permanent ceasefire, continued aid and release of all hostages were essential. [4]

The phrase therefore meant that the January agreement created measurable humanitarian and diplomatic opportunities but required further implementation, negotiation and a political framework. It was not a declaration that peace had been achieved or a forecast that later phases would succeed. This guide describes the UN’s stated interpretation of the 2025 agreement; it does not assign legal responsibility or substitute for later reporting on the conflict’s subsequent course. [1][4][5]

Sources

  1. United Nations — Secretary-General’s statement on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal
  2. United Nations in Palestine — Ceasefire begins as UN ramps up food deliveries
  3. United Nations — Secretary-General’s January 20 Security Council remarks
  4. United Nations — Statement as the ceasefire’s first phase ended
  5. United Nations — January 2025 monthly bulletin on Palestine
  6. World Health Organization — Ceasefire brings hope but immense health challenges

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