I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire & hostage release in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by @npub16ezq...272j. I commend the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt & Türkiye in brokering this desperately needed breakthrough. I urge all concerned to abide fully by the terms of the agreement. All hostages must be released in a dignified manner. A permanent ceasefire must be secured. The fighting must stop once & for all. Immediate & unimpeded entry of humanitarian supplies & essential commercial materials into Gaza must be ensured. The suffering must end. The @United Nations will support the full implementation of the agreement & will scale up the delivery of sustained & principled humanitarian relief, and we will advance recovery & reconstruction efforts in Gaza. I urge all stakeholders to seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, leading to a two-state solution to enable Israelis & Palestinians to live in peace & security. The stakes have never been higher.

The world is spending far more money on waging war than on building peace. But excessive military spending often undermines peace. A more secure world begins by investing at least as much in fighting poverty as we do in fighting wars. https://www.un.org/en/peace-and-security/the-true-cost-of-peace

The situation for Palestinians in Gaza is beyond description, beyond atrocious & beyond inhumane. A policy of siege & starvation makes a mockery of international law. The blockade against humanitarian aid must end immediately. This is a moment for moral clarity & action.

During my visit to Tonga, I heard directly from civil society and local communities how climate change and sea level rise are upending their lives. I urge Pacific countries to continue raising their voices for #ClimateAction. If we save the Pacific, we save the world.