After more than 470 days of onslaught in Gaza, people in the besieged enclave can now hear the sounds of children at play rather than bombs, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said, Al Jazeera reports.

Describing a “good first day of the ceasefire”, Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, said flows of aid and some commercial supplies went smoothly on Sunday.

“The ceasefire must continue to hold and all elements of the agreement must be implemented,” Lazzarini said on social media, saying it was “a step in the right direction towards long-lasting peace and stability for all”.

Opinion

Editorial

A new deal
Updated 16 Jun, 2026

A new deal

AFTER three and a half months of war between US-Israel and Iran and an acrimonious temporary ceasefire, a genuine...
Charter of economy
16 Jun, 2026

Charter of economy

NO one expected the PTI to accept the government’s invitation to sign a charter of economy; just as few expected...
Hostage seamen
16 Jun, 2026

Hostage seamen

SOME 50 days on, 11 Pakistani nationals are still in Somali pirates’ captivity. Their appeals to the Pakistani and...
Climate choices
Updated 15 Jun, 2026

Climate choices

The country is confronting increasingly volatile weather patterns with consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, public health and economic planning.
Brief opening
15 Jun, 2026

Brief opening

WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace...
Environmental disaster
15 Jun, 2026

Environmental disaster

IT was a heartbreaking sight. A recent news report in these pages carried a picture of a sea turtle lying half ...