World reactions to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
The agreement is set to involve the release of certain captives from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails.
World reactions to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement for a four-day truce mediated by Qatar. As part of the deal, 50 women and children held captive in Gaza will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children currently held in Israeli jails.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, and the specific starting time is expected to be confirmed within the next 24 hours, according to a statement from Qatar.
The agreement also encompasses vital humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, addressing the urgent needs resulting from weeks of continuous Israeli attacks. These attacks have resulted in a tragic toll, with more than 14,100 people, including 5,600 children, losing their lives and approximately 1.7 million individuals being displaced from their homes. Additionally, about 1,200 people lost their lives in Hamas’s attack on Israel.
The announcement of the agreement has prompted various reactions:
China:
Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, expressed hope that the agreement “will help alleviate the plight of the humanitarian crisis, promote the de-escalation of conflicts, and ease tensions.”
European Union:
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, welcomed the agreement between Israel and Hamas on the release of 50 captives and a pause in hostilities in Gaza. In a statement, she stated, “The European Commission will do its utmost to use this pause for a humanitarian surge to Gaza.”
Egypt:
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi applauded the success of the mediation conducted by Egypt, alongside Qatar and the United States, in brokering a “humanitarian truce” in the Gaza Strip. The president’s office also conveyed Sisi’s welcome for the planned “exchange of hostages for prisoners” held in Israeli jails.
France:
Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna expressed the hope that there will be French people among the first group of hostages to be released.
Human Rights Watch:
Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, commented on the agreement, stating, “Following the mass atrocities of recent weeks, today’s agreement is welcome. Hostage-taking and blocking of life-saving aid are war crimes that are never justified. Human beings are not bargaining chips. Ceasefire or not, unlawful attacks should cease once and for all.”
Iran:
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian Iran announced that Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian will embark on a regional tour, beginning in Lebanon, following the agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“The visit aligns with Iran’s diplomatic efforts to halt the Zionist regime’s attacks on Gaza, lift the blockade, and send humanitarian aid to the oppressed people of Gaza,” Nournews agency, affiliated with Iran’s top security body, reported.
Israel:
Israeli government “The Government of Israel is committed to repatriating all of the hostages,” it stated in a release.
“The government of Israel, [the Israeli army], and the security services will persist in the conflict to bring back all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas, and ensure that there will be no new threat to the State of Israel from Gaza.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir The far-right Israeli minister, who opposed the truce deal, criticized the agreement, stating that it sets a “dangerous precedent” and “alters the equation.”
While acknowledging the advantage of the deal in the return of captives, he insisted, “we have no right and authority to agree to the idea of separating them and returning only a part.”
“Hamas wanted this timeout more than anything,” he remarked on X.
“This decision will cause us great harm for generations,” he was quoted as saying by Israeli media during the government meeting.
Jordan:
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi The Jordanian foreign minister expressed some concern about the deal, stating that a “broader plan for Gaza” is necessary and warning against the risk of ethnic cleansing.
Despite the truce deal, there is still a significant gap in the delivery of necessary humanitarian aid, and the future of the residents of northern Gaza is in jeopardy, he added. “People must be empowered to remain in their homes, not displaced.”
Furthermore, Safadi said, the situation in the West Bank is deteriorating, with the “potential for an explosion of violence getting very high.”
Palestine:
PLO Executive Committee Secretary Hussein al-Sheikh “President Mahmoud Abbas and the leadership welcome the humanitarian truce agreement, appreciate the Egyptian [and] Qatari effort that has been exerted.”
The PLO statement called “for a comprehensive cessation of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people” and reiterated the need for “humanitarian aid and the implementation of a political solution based on international legitimacy that leads to the end of the occupation and the achievement of the Palestinian people’s freedom, independence, and sovereignty.”
Qatar:
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani Sheikh Mohammed wrote on X that the Gulf state hoped the deal would “establish a comprehensive and sustainable agreement” that would “put an end to the war and the bloodshed and lead to serious talks for a comprehensive and just peace process.”
Russia:
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov The Kremlin praised the agreement as the “first good news for a long time.”
“Russia and most countries in the world have been calling for a ceasefire and for a humanitarian pause. Because it is only on the basis of these kinds of pauses that some outlines of future attempts at a sustainable settlement can be built,” Peskov said.
Saudi Arabia:
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud “Humanitarian aid should be sustained and expanded, and it should not later become contingent on further hostage releases,” said Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
“Punishing the civilian population of Gaza for the holding of those hostages is absolutely not acceptable,” he added.
Turkey:
President Tayyip Erdogan The Turkish president said he is considering going to Egypt to help arrange more help for the injured in Gaza.
The Islamic world must act in a spirit of unity and solidarity on Gaza, Erdogan told reporters. “When that fist hits the table with all its force, it will not be possible for Israel to continue its occupation or oppression.”
He said efforts must be made to ensure a ceasefire, deliver sufficient aid to Gaza, and rebuild the city using economic, political, and diplomatic means.
“We must force Israel to comply with international law and be held accountable for its actions,” he added.
“I may arrange a trip to Egypt as soon as possible,” Erdogan said, to discuss evacuations of the injured.
United Kingdom:
Foreign Minister David Cameron Cameron stated that the pause was a “crucial step towards providing relief to the families of the hostages and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“I urge all parties to ensure the agreement is delivered in full,” Cameron said.
United States:
President Joe Biden Biden welcomed the deal and thanked Qatar and Egypt for their efforts to secure the agreement.
“Jill and I have been keeping all those held hostage and their loved ones close to our hearts these many weeks, and I am extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented,” he said in a statement.
He stressed it needed to be “carried through in its entirety” and that it was “important that all aspects of this deal be fully implemented.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken Blinken, replying to Biden’s statement on X, applauded the role of the US in the deal.
“While this deal marks significant progress, we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Schumer, who leads the US Senate, said he was “pleased and relieved” that 50 captives would soon be returning to their families.
He said it was a “positive development” that the pause in fighting would “allow additional humanitarian assistance into Gaza for the millions of innocent Palestinians who have nothing to do with Hamas” and said the Senate would “continue working to pass additional humanitarian assistance for innocent Palestinians, and make sure that Israel has the aid it needs to defend itself to ensure Hamas can never again pose such a threat to Israel.”
Vatican City:
Pope Francis Pope Francis said the conflict had gone beyond war to become “terrorism” after separate meetings with Israeli relatives of hostages held by Hamas, as well as Palestinians with family in Gaza.
Speaking in unscripted remarks at his Wednesday general audience in St Peter’s Square, Francis said he heard directly how “both sides are suffering.”
