Officials welcome announcement of truce agreement, call for surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Published On 15 Jan 2025
Mediator Qatar has announced that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to halt the war in Gaza and exchange Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the agreement in Doha on Wednesday. He said the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday, January 19.
The deal will lead to the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners and a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed said.
At least 46,707 people in Gaza have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel launched the devastating assault in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which at least 1,139 people were killed, according to Israeli statistics, and approximately 250 others seized as captives.
Here are some key reactions from around the world to the announcement of a truce agreement:
US President Joe Biden
“Fighting in Gaza will stop, and soon the hostages return home to their families,” President Biden said at the White House.
US President-elect Donald Trump
“We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“With this deal in place, my National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven,” Trump said in a second post.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Guterres told reporters that the UN was ready to back the deal and “scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer”.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
Fidan told reporters in Ankara the ceasefire deal was an important step for regional stability. He also said that Turkish efforts for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would continue.