By Jasper Ward

A Palestinian woman builds a fire as children look towards it while beside a tent, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

Oct 9 (Reuters) – The United Nations plans to ramp up its delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the first 60 days of a ceasefire in the enclave, a top UN official said on Thursday, hours after a deal was struck between Israel and Hamas.

The deal is expected to go into effect 24 hours after an Israeli government meeting on Thursday. It will allow fleets of trucks carrying food and medical aid into Gaza, and allow the release of hostages and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces.

“We will aim to increase the pipeline of supplies to hundreds of trucks every day. We will scale up the provision of food across Gaza to reach 2.1 million people who need food aid and around 500,000 people who need nutrition,” said Tom Fletcher, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

“Famine must be reverted in areas where it has taken hold and prevented in others,” he added at a briefing.

FAMINE AFFLICTS 500,000 PEOPLE

Gaza City and surrounding areas are suffering from famine that will likely spread, afflicting more than half a million Palestinians, according to an August report by the IPC global hunger monitor. Israel, which blocked all food from entering Gaza for almost three months this year, eased restrictions in July by allowing in more aid. The U.N. says far more aid is needed, and it is unable to reliably distribute supplies in Gaza, blaming Israeli military restrictions on movements and a breakdown of law and order.

Fletcher said the U.N. will also provide cash for 200,000 families to cover basic food needs. He added the organization will restore Gaza’s destroyed health system and deliver more medical supplies.

“We will now carry out a massive scale-up in shelter provision, including to help families prepare for winter. We’ll bring in and distribute thousands of tents every week in addition to tarps and other items,” he said, adding the focus will be on vulnerable families.

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