World leaders on Thursday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas, which could help bring an end to the two-year war in Gaza.
Hamas will now release all the 20 living hostages in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.
The deal has been praised internationally, with leaders from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the European Union, and others hailing it as a historic moment that could pave the way for a permanent solution to the war.
In the Palestinian Territories, President Mahmoud Abbas said he hoped the agreement “would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution,” leading to the establishment of an “independent Palestinian state”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for all hostages to be released “in a dignified manner” and urged a permanent ceasefire.
He said, “The fighting must stop once and for all,” and called for immediate, unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the announcement as a “big step towards lasting peace.” He added, “The best medicine is peace,” and said the WHO “stands ready to scale up its work to meet the dire health needs of patients across Gaza.”
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called it a “historic moment,” noting that it “does not only close the chapter of war. It also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region for a future defined by justice and stability.”
Saudi Arabia said it hoped the deal would “lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering… achieve a full Israeli withdrawal, restore security and stability, and initiate practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.”
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked US President Donald Trump.
He said Trump demonstrated “the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire.”
Leaders of the European Union praised the diplomatic efforts of the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Kaja Kallas, the Vice-President of the European Commission called the deal “a significant breakthrough”.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was “extraordinary news”. French President Emmanuel Macron hoped it would pave the way for a “political solution.”
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the developments were “encouraging,” and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized that civilians must be supported so that “the atrocities experienced… never [be] repeated.”
Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said the deal “can stop the dreadful bombing, silence the guns, end the famine and genocide, and allow a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the deal a “crucial first step” and urged that it “be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
Russia’s Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the agreement, saying, “We hope that signatures will be signed today, and that actions to implement the agreements will follow.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun called for a “permanent and comprehensive” ceasefire and said, “China advocates adhering to the principle that ‘Palestinians should govern Palestine’.”
