SG Spokesperson’s Daily Press Briefing: Excerpts on the Question of Palestine

10 October 2025

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip, our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that the announcement of a ceasefire has generated a new hope for relief at last.

Today, within minutes of the announcement by Israeli authorities that the ceasefire had taken effect at noon, local time, thousands of people resumed movement north, mainly on foot, but also in vehicles and animal-drawn carts.

Some of the people who have already managed to reach Gaza City reported that they arrived back to find their homes had sustained further damage.

We and our partners are ready to scale up the humanitarian response immediately.

As you heard yesterday, in order to deliver on this plan, we need the opening of additional crossings, safe movement for aid workers and all other civilians, the unrestricted entry of goods, visas for staff, and space for ourselves and our NGO (non-governmental organization) partners to operate, in line with humanitarian principles.

After two years of war, the rehabilitation of infrastructure is urgently needed to enable recovery.  The private sector is also critical.  Our humanitarian colleagues appeal to all leaders backing the ceasefire to help us secure the conditions to carry out unimpeded humanitarian operations.

It’s also critical that Member States extend generous funding for the response so that the humanitarian communities can scale up.

And just an update for you on some of the work that humanitarian teams were able to carry out yesterday in Gaza:  They deployed an ambulance, helped prepare a low-lying area for the winter, and collected fuel, medical items and other critical supplies from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing, where they also offloaded incoming supplies to replenish stocks that will enter in the coming days.

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Question:  Thank you, Steph.  Could we get an idea of how many trucks the UN has been able to get in yesterday and today?  And can we get an update on negotiations between the UN and Israel in trying to really surge humanitarian aid into Gaza?

Spokesman:  On the second part, I can tell you, because I was in touch with him not too long ago, our colleague Ramiz Alakbarov, who heads the UN’s office in Jerusalem, notably the acting head of UNSCO (United Nations Special Coordinator’s Office) and the head of our humanitarian arm, has been in meetings and in discussions with Israeli authorities to try to get some clarity on what we’ll be able to bring in, the volume, the number of access points, all of the things that are included in phase one of the agreement, and those discussions are ongoing.  But at the same time, we are able, as I said today, we are able to bring aid in, I think increasingly, the volume, but I’ll try to get you some more granularity on the volume that’s going in.  Pam?

Question:  Just to follow-up on Edie’s question.  Is there any clarity on how the UN will be able to deliver this and if the GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) is still there? And what if your standards have been met in terms of delivering the…  [cross-talk]

Spokesman:  Well, we meet our standards in the way we work.  I’m not aware of any discussion regarding the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but you’d have to talk to them.  As you know, we’ve not been involved with them at all.  But as I said, I’m not aware of any plans to involve them.  And our standards, as you mentioned, remain the same.

Question:  And so just on that, is there… how many trucks have gotten in since the announcement?

Spokesman:  Well, I mean, again, I like to talk about trucks.  I think trucks are a good metric, but it gets a little confusing because it’s not one-to-one truck.  As you know, we need to load and offload, but I will try to get you some metric that’s usable.  I also… and going back to what the discussions Edie was talking about, I can tell you that also the Secretary-General has spoken today to the Prime Minister of Qatar, to the President of Egypt, to the King of Jordan in separate phone calls to discuss, obviously, the situation on the ground, the implementation of the peace plan.  And in those discussions, the Secretary-General reiterated the UN’s full support to the implementation, and particularly, the mobilization of our full capacity in terms of humanitarian aid delivery.  Dezhi, and then I’ll come to you.

Question:  According to your answer, can I understand…?

Spokesman:  According to?

Question:  According to your answer…  [cross-talk]

Spokesman:  According to me – that’s good.  You can always quote me back to me.

Question:  No.  Is this right that so far, the humanitarian delivery has not been changed that much since the deal?

Spokesman:  Look.  There’s been progressively, I think, over the last few weeks, there’s been more aid coming in.  What has changed dramatically yesterday to today is the fact that the guns appear to have been silenced, right?  So the first thing is that it’s safer for people to operate.  What we’re working on now with the Israeli authorities is starting to increase the volume of aid that will go in, increase the pace, increase the number of the volume, hopefully have more crossings.  I mean, I think as we said yesterday, we have — this is not trucks, but metric tons — we have 170,000 metric tons of supplies, including food and medicine, that have all been cleared and with much more in the pipeline.

Question:  But that’s pending, because you’re still waiting for the confirmation from the…  [cross-talk]

Spokesman:  Listen.  I mean, you know, no one understands the urgency, operational urgency more than us. I mean, of course, I would say that, that being said, the Palestinian people who need that aid understand it more than we do, but we’re very aware of the urgency.  So, we’re working through the system.  We’re trying to push.  We’re trying to get all of that aid that’s in the pipeline and that’s ready to go in, to go in.

Question:  Today, the Houthis, they also made a statement suggesting that they are, to many people’s understandings, they are not going to… they’re going to halt their attack on Israel because of the ceasefire deal.  What is the… any comments from the Secretary-General?

Spokesman:  Well, I think any halt in those types of attacks that we’ve seen by the Houthis would be welcomed.  Okay, sorry, Ahmed and then Evelyn.

Question:  Thank you, Stéphane.  A couple of follow-ups.  Why did the Secretary-General did not initiate a call with President [Donald] Trump to congratulate him over the ceasefire agreement? He spoke to the Qataris, to the Egyptians, probably the Turks, but not to President Trump.  This is one.  Number two, with regard to the aid delivery in Gaza, you mentioned that the system in place is still back to the old system where trucks cross from Egypt into Gaza.

Spokesman:  Well, right now, mostly for the UN trucks are crossing through Karim Shalom, Karem Abu Salam, but we very much hope that all of the crossings, including Rafah, will be open to humanitarian aid and private sector.

Question:  But is there a talk between the UN and the Israeli Government to simplify the process is that to allow the trucks to move to the destination?

Spokesman:  We’re working with our Israeli counterparts to have a system that makes it easier and faster to get humanitarian aid in.  But as I said repeatedly here, the keys to the crossings are not in the pockets of UN officials, right?

Question:  And finally, we are observing the International Mental Health Day, and I asked about that yesterday as well, does the Secretary-General realize the magnitude of the mental health crisis in Gaza for the civilian population has been going for two years? Children, women, men, seniors?

Spokesman:  You asked the question yesterday.  As I said to you yesterday, of course, we understand it and we’ve been trying to provide mental health support throughout this conflict, even at the worst of times and especially at the worst of times, with very limited capacity. But humanitarian aid for us also includes mental health support.

Question:  Any plans to expand on the providing of mental health services? [Cross talk]

Spokesman:  We’re trying to get as many of our people in, and we’re trying to get as much goods in.  Evelyn?

Question:  You didn’t answer the question of President Trump phone call.

Spokesman:  Oh, well, when there are more phone calls, I will let you know, but I can tell you that yesterday, the Secretary-General had a message passed of congratulations, passed through the US Mission.  Evelyn and then Linda.  Sorry.

Question:  Are you going to give us today or on the weekend how many trucks were able to come in?

Spokesman:  As I just told you, as soon as we have numbers to share with you, we will. Evelyn then Alex.  Sorry.  Linda then Alex.

Question:  Thank you, Steph.

Spokesman:  I’m one step behind always.

Question:  I’m just following up on yesterday on the SG statement where he said that it was important that the hostages be released with dignity.  And I believe you had mentioned that, you know, the UN would be do whatever they could to help.  Has anything… have they been asked?

Spokesman:  I don’t have anything further to share with you at this point on that.  Alex?

Question:  Thanks, Steph.  A quick follow-up on the Secretary-General’s message to President Trump.  Is it the same message you’re talking about yesterday or it’s another one?

Spokesman:  No.  Let’s be clear.  I had said that… a few days, I shared with you yesterday the information that a few days ago, he had written a letter.  Okay? That was before the peace plan.  The information I’m sharing with you today is that yesterday, he asked the US Mission through Ambassador [Michael] Waltz to pass on a message of congratulations to the President.

Question:  What was the response?  What’s the response?

Spokesman:  I would hope it’s thank you.  I don’t know. I haven’t seen the response.

Question:  So, President Trump didn’t respond.

Spokesman:  No, I haven’t…  Listen, I don’t mean to make lie of it.  I don’t know what the response is, okay.  All right. Anyone online?  Okay.  Yes, Pam. Then we’ll…