Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced on Wednesday that a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas had been agreed.
On the ground, Palestinians in Gaza have come out in huge numbers to celebrate the deal, with hopes that 15 months of hell at the hands of Israel could be coming to an end.
The New Arab looks at how Hamas, Israel and world leaders and the heads of official international and transnational bodies have reacted to the deal that could potentially lead to lasting peace in Gaza.
Hamas
Hamas’s chief negotiator said Wednesday the group “will not forgive” the suffering inflicted in Gaza during the war with Israel, after a ceasefire deal was agreed.
“On behalf of all the victims, every drop of blood spilt and every tear of pain and oppression, we say: We will not forget, and we will not forgive,” said Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’s political bureau and head of its Gaza branch.
“The barbaric war of extermination … that the Israeli occupation and its backers have carried out over 467 days will forever be engraved in the memory of our people and the world as the worst genocide in modern history,” al-Hayya added, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked in a phone call on Wednesday U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for securing a hostages deal and putting an “end to the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families,” according to a statement by his office.
Netanyahu agreed to meet Trump soon in Washington, the statement said, adding the Israeli prime minister also thanked U.S President Joe Biden for his help in the hostages deal in a phone call.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a televised statement on Wednesday that a ceasefire and hostage-release deal announced between Israel and Hamas was the “right move” to bring all the captives home.
On the other hand, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Wednesday that the Gaza ceasefire deal with Hamas was “dangerous” for Israel’s security.
“The deal that will be presented to the government is a bad and dangerous deal for the security of the State of Israel,” he said in a statement.
UN
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was “imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza so that we can support a major increase in urgent life-saving humanitarian support”.
Additionally, UN rights chief Volker Turk said the deal promised “huge relief after so much unbearable pain and misery… and it is imperative that it now holds”. The chief of the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees Philippe Lazzarini called for “rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access and supplies to respond to the tremendous suffering caused by this war”.
Donald Trump
After taking credit for the deal, the US president-elect vowed to “work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven”.
Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden said he was “thrilled” that hostages would be freed and “confident” the deal would hold. “I’m deeply satisfied this day has… finally come,” he said in a televised statement.
Speaking at the White House just days before he leaves office, a visibly relieved Biden said the negotiations to halt the Gaza conflict had been some of the “toughest” of his career.
“I’m deeply satisfied this day has come, finally come,” Biden said in a televised statement.
A number of Americans would be among the hostages who would be released by Palestinian militants in Gaza, he added.
The first phase of the deal would last six weeks and include a “full and complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas,” Biden said.
The as yet unfinalized second phase would bring a “permanent end to the war,” the 82-year-old Democrat said, adding he was “confident” the deal would hold.
EU
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said “both parties must fully implement this agreement, as a stepping stone toward lasting stability in the region”.
Turkey
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hoped the agreement “will be beneficial for our region and for all humanity, particularly for our Palestinian brothers, and that it will open the way to lasting peace and stability”.
Egypt
The president of neighbouring Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, called for “the entry of urgent humanitarian aid” into Gaza. He said the deal followed “strenuous efforts” by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia hailed the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday, calling for the end of “Israeli aggression” in Gaza following 15 months of conflict.
Riyadh paused tentative talks on normalising ties with Israel early in the conflict and has hardened its rhetoric as the war continued.
“The Kingdom stresses the need to adhere to the agreement and stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza,” a foreign ministry statement said.
It called for “the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the (Gaza) Strip and all other Palestinian and Arab territories and the return of the displaced to their areas”.
Jordan
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called on world powers to ensure the “sufficient and durable” delivery of aid to Gaza.
France
France’s President Emmanuel Macron said the agreement must be “respected” and followed by a “political solution”.
Germany
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the deal “opens the door to a permanent end to the war and to the improvement of the poor humanitarian situation in Gaza” and must be “implemented to the letter”.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it “the long overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for”. He urged steps for a “permanently better future… grounded in a two-state solution”.
Italy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her country “expects that all the hostages can finally return to their families” and saw a an “opportunity to significantly increase humanitarian assistance” to Gaza civilians. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called it an “important step towards peace”.
Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the ceasefire was “crucial to achieving regional stability” and “an indispensable step on the path towards a two-state solution and a just peace that respects international law”.
Netherlands
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said it should be “a first step towards a durable and lasting peace”.
Norway
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called the deal “encouraging and long overdue” and urged the sides to “respect all parts of the agreement”.
Sweden
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard welcomed the deal for hostages and said “it is now crucial that the ceasefire alleviates the immense suffering of the civilian population in Gaza”.
Finland
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called for “full implementation” and called it “a first step towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.”
Agencies contributed to this report
