Hope arises after Israel and Hamas agreed to first phase of plan to end Gaza war

People react as they celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting, in Tel Aviv

World leaders yesterday expressed hope for peace and urged Israel and Hamas to fulfill their commitments in the hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the parties had agreed to the “first phase” of a deal signaling a major breakthrough in the two-year war in Gaza.

Hamas will release all 20 living hostages in the coming days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.

“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote on social media.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media: “With God’s help we will bring them all home.”

United Nations

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said that the U.N. “will support the full implementation of the agreement and will scale up the delivery of sustained and principled humanitarian relief, and we will advance recovery and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.”

He urged all “to seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political path forward” toward “recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.”

China

China hoped for a “lasting and comprehensive” ceasefire in Gaza, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun saying that President Xi Jinping’s government expects the agreement to ease the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and calm tensions in the Middle East.

“We are ready to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to promote a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue and the realization of peace and stability in the Middle East,” he said, noting that China advocates for a two-state solution.

Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country played a role in the negotiations, hailed the agreement. He thanked Trump in a statement on X for “demonstrating the necessary political will,” as well as Qatar and Egypt for facilitating the deal.

Erdogan later said that Turkey hoped to participate in any task force that would be responsible for overseeing the ceasefire agreement.

Egypt

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi hailed the deal between Israel and Hamas as a “historic moment.”

“This agreement 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,” el-Sissi wrote on social media.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, after phone calls from his European counterparts, expressed hope that the deal would start a “new chapter in the region.

Syria

Syria’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire announcement and expressed hope the development would pave the way “for a phase of regional stability.”

The ministry also praised the mediation role of Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and the U.S.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE, which struck a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel in 2020, praised the move toward a ceasefire, saying it hoped it would “constitute a positive step toward ending the humanitarian suffering in Gaza” while moving toward a two-state solution.

France

President Emmanuel Macron said that the agreement is a “great hope for the hostages and their families, for the Palestinians in Gaza, and for the entire region.”

Macron commended “the efforts of President @realDonaldTrump, as well as the Qatari, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators who helped make it happen,” and called on the warring parties “to strictly uphold” the terms of the deal.

United Kingdom

Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the agreement and urged an immediate lifting of restrictions on aid.

Speaking while on a trade mission to India, Starmer praised the “tireless diplomatic efforts” of the mediators and said the U.K. will support efforts to turn the ceasefire into a “sustainable path” to long-term peace.

“This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years,” he said.

Germany

Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the agreement and said that he was hopeful for a full deal this week.

Merz said that the developments are encouraging and that “hopes regarding Israel and the Gaza Strip increased again last night, but this is not yet really concluded, so we are of course watching the situation very closely and remain optimistic.”

Saudi Arabia

The kingdom’s foreign ministry expressed “hope that this important step will lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, a complete Israeli withdrawal, the restoration of security and stability and the initiation of practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.”

Jordan

Jordan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, praised the efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States and thanked Turkey for its role in the deal.

Safadi stressed the need for aid to enter Gaza, and said Jordan was ready to resume aid deliveries.

Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun said that he hoped the initial agreement would “constitute a first step toward a permanent ceasefire and an end to the humanitarian suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Aoun called for “continued international and regional efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in the region that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” and for Israel to “halt its aggressive policies in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.” ELENA BECATOROS, ATHENS, MDT/AP