As a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect Friday in Gaza, the spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza Hisham Mehanna called for lasting political solutions to end civilian suffering, warning that humanitarian aid alone cannot resolve the deepening crisis. The truce came into force at 12:00 noon local time (0900 GMT) on Friday. The Israeli army confirmed the ceasefire in a brief statement, while local eyewitnesses said calm prevailed across most areas of the coastal enclave. This marked the beginning of implementing the deal reached after weeks of negotiations mediated by Egypt and other international parties. Reflecting on the situation, Mehanna emphasized that only political solutions can truly end the crisis. "Only political solutions can lead to the end of this suffering. The humanitarian and the military solutions never worked, and we can confirm this from our experience over the decades in armed conflicts around the world, which is why it is now a shared responsibility for parties to the conflict, the countries who have the influence and relationship with both of them, to ensure there is a ceasefire anytime soon. Everyone in Gaza and beyond Gaza are waiting for this, including the hostages and their families in Israel," Mehanna said. He reaffirmed the ICRC's unwavering commitment to supporting civilians amid ongoing challenges. "Our priorities remain the same, as to stay close and supportive to the civilians, wherever they are, especially in Gaza City, supporting the remaining functional hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Gaza City, to support their life-saving efforts. They are going through a lot of challenges, security, logistical and other challenges, and it's only the ICRC who has been there until the last moment in Gaza City, given the massive intensification of the military operations. Now, the entire Gaza Strip is still suffering from the ongoing hostility," he said. Stressing the critical need for a durable ceasefire, Mehanna highlighted its role in ending the violence once and for all. "Civilians are still subject to daily killing and forced displacement. This can be only ended once and for all via an agreement between the parties to the conflict, to ceasefire, to allow humanitarian workers to perform actionable, meaningful humanitarian response, with full adherence to the humanitarian principles," he said. The video shows: Gaza Strip - March 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Office building of ICRC, ICRC flag Gaza Strip - Oct 9, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 2. Office building of ICRC, ICRC flag 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hisham Mehanna, spokesperson for International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza: "Only political solutions can lead to the end of this suffering. The humanitarian and the military solutions never worked, and we can confirm this from our experience over the decades in armed conflicts around the world, which is why it is now a shared responsibility for parties to the conflict, the countries who have the influence and relationship with both of them, to ensure there is a ceasefire anytime soon. Everyone in Gaza and beyond Gaza are waiting for this, including the hostages and their families in Israel." 4. Various of boxes of relief goods 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Hisham Mehanna, spokesperson for International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza: "Our priorities remain the same, as to stay close and supportive to the civilians, wherever they are, especially in Gaza City, supporting the remaining functional hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Gaza City, to support their life-saving efforts. They are going through a lot of challenges, security, logistical and other challenges, and it's only the ICRC who has been there until the last moment in Gaza City, given the massive intensification of the military operations. Now, the entire Gaza Strip is still suffering from the ongoing hostility." Gaza Strip - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 6. Aerial shot of tents 7. Tents on rubble, destroyed apartment buildings Gaza Strip - Oct 9, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Hisham Mehanna, spokesperson for International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza: "Civilians are still subject to daily killing and forced displacement. This can be only ended once and for all via an agreement between the parties to the conflict, to ceasefire, to allow humanitarian workers to perform actionable, meaningful humanitarian response, with full adherence to the humanitarian principles." Gaza Strip - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 9. Various of children around tents 10. Various of vehicles; Palestinians fleeing [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]