The UN Secretary-General’s comments came as he headed to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt alongside world leaders for the Gaza peace summit. The international meeting was called after Israeli forces withdrew from parts of Gaza, in accordance with an agreement between Israel and Hamas, negotiated in Egypt by American mediators and representatives of Qatar and Turkïye.
In a message on
190,000 tons of aid to deliver
Meanwhile, UN aid agencies reported significant positive developments in the delivery of aid to Gaza.
“Our humanitarian expansion in Gaza is underway,” the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA said, noting that it had obtained Israeli approval for 190,000 tons of food, shelter items, medicine and other supplies to enter the Strip, 20,000 more than previously agreed.
For the first time since March, cooking gas was allowed into the Strip.
Additionally, “more tents for displaced families, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour and medicine also crossed into Gaza throughout the day on Sunday,” OCHA said in its update.
Crucially, the aid agency reported that its workers and partners could now move more easily “in multiple areas,” a welcome development after continued access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities.
This has allowed aid teams to pre-position medical and emergency supplies “where they are needed most”, the UN agency said, as well as assess key roads for explosive hazards and support displaced families in flood-prone areas ahead of winter.
“This is just the beginning. As part of our plan for the first 60 days of the ceasefire, the UN and our partners will expand the scale and scope of our operations to deliver life-saving aid and services to virtually everyone in Gaza,” OCHA continued.
The development is part of a broader humanitarian plan to expand essential services in food, health, water, shelter and education, outlined by UN emergency relief chief Tom Fletcher. Its key elements:
- Food assistance for 2.1 million people, with in-kind rations, bakery and kitchen support, livelihood restoration for herders and fishermen, and cash aid for 200,000 families to strengthen dignity and choice.
- Nutrition programs: Expanded screening and nutrient-dense foods for vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents, and pregnant or lactating women.
- Restore healthcare including services, essential medicines, better disease surveillance and increased maternal and emergency care, along with mental health and rehabilitation work.
- Water and sanitation projects for 1.4 million people by repairing networks, sewage systems and waste management, as well as distributing hygiene supplies.
- Shelter assistance Displaced and vulnerable families will be prioritized with tents, tarps and other materials before winter.
- Educational impulse reopen temporary learning spaces for 700,000 children with school materials and activities.
Symptoms of war
Two years of extreme violence and constant Israeli bombing have left many families without homes to return to.
The violence has also created enormous physical and psychological needs throughout Gaza that UN agencies are already addressing.
UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, stressed that “one million” young people in the Gaza Strip need mental health and psychosocial support.
The war has devastated young people’s sense of security, development and well-being, the UN agency insisted, with many of them showing “symptoms of severe stress” such as withdrawal, nightmares and enuresis.
To help children heal and overcome their fears, UNICEF supports a self-help recovery program in which coaches show children how to use stress management techniques to release and process painful thoughts and images.
A device is an imaginary “safety button” that children can press when they feel overwhelmed by their situation.
“Every time I was afraid, I would put my hand on the safety button and inhale and exhale deeply. It made me feel very relieved,” said Anas, 15, one of the children helped by the scheme.
In 2025, UNICEF said eight in 10 of the young people who participated in the program showed a reduction in traumatic stress symptoms.