António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, issued the following statement on the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas:
I very much welcome the release of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
I am profoundly relieved that they have regained their freedom and will be soon reunited with their loved ones after the immense suffering they have endured and I reiterate my call for the release of the remains of the deceased hostages.
I urge all parties to build on this momentum and to honor their commitments under the ceasefire to end the nightmare in Gaza.
The United Nations is working to support all efforts to end the conflict in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of civilians.
