UN chief calls on Iran and Israel to fully respect ceasefire brokered by US
The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire announcement between Iran and Israel, announced on social media overnight by US President Donald Trump.
Exchanges of fire were reported before both sides confirmed that a ceasefire was in place. Tehran residents said that they had experienced a heavy barrage of attacks that ended at around 4am.
In a social media post, UN chief António Guterres insisted that “the fighting must stop. The people of the two countries have already suffered too much,” he said, adding it was his “sincere hope” that the ceasefire can extend to other parts of the region.
Earlier, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog urged Tehran to consider “resuming cooperation” with the international community, to quell any lingering hostility around its nuclear programme.
Director General of the atomic energy agency IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said it would be key to any lasting agreement.
In a social media post, he added that he had offered to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on working together.
He stressed that the move could lead to a diplomatic solution to the long-standing controversy over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
At least 410 Palestinians killed by IDF at private aid hubs in Gaza: OHCHR
At least 410 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to fetch aid from non-UN distribution hubs in Gaza – a likely war crime – the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.
The alert comes nearly a month since the controversial aid provider bypassing the UN, known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, started operating on 27 May in Gaza.
Its hubs have been associated with confusion and shooting as desperate and hungry Gazans rush to fetch supplies, said UN human rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Keetan.
Speaking in Geneva, Mr. Al-Keetan explained that victims were either “shelled or shot” by the Israel Defense Forces.
At least 93 people have also been reportedly killed by the Israeli army while attempting to approach the few remaining aid convoys of the UN and other aid partners still operating in Gaza.
“Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution. It endangers civilians and contributes to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law.”
Although the UN and other aid providers still function in Gaza, they are reliant on the Israeli authorities to facilitate their missions. On Saturday and Sunday, only eight out of 16 requests for humanitarian operations were approved.
2.5 million refugees need resettling, says UNHCR
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday that 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year.
In a new report, the UN agency said that this is down from 2.9 million this year, mainly because of regime change in Syria and the large numbers of people returning home.
The largest refugee populations on the move are Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Sudanese, Myanmar’s Rohingya and Congolese refugees, said spokesperson Shabia Mantoo:
“Resettlement helps ease the pressure on national systems and refugee host countries and also supports sustainable responses. In 2025, however, resettlement quotas are expected to be the lowest in recent decades, falling below the levels we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many countries paused their programmes. The dramatic decline in quotas risks reversing the significant progress made in recent years and can also expose refugees to more danger.”
Resettlement offers a concrete alternative to dangerous journeys, UNHCR says. It also helps fosters partnerships with host countries, which is something former refugee Madiha Ali Changezi found, when she was offered a new home in New Zealand as a teenager.
Today Ms. Changezi is a qualified human rights and refugee lawyer who advocates for others who have faced injustice and exclusion.
Being resettled “gave me a place to call home, a future and most importantly, access to my rights”, she said.
Daniel Johnson, UN News
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