French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that a ceasefire deal reached by Israel and Hamas must be followed by a "political solution" to end the conflict in Gaza.
"The agreement must be respected. The hostages freed. Gazans aided. A political solution must happen," Macron posted on X
His reaction comes after Qatar's prime minister said Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza starting on Sunday and a hostage and prisoner exchange after 15 months of war.
The agreement follows months of on-off negotiations brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and came just ahead of the 20 January inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while welcoming the deal said it was "imperative" that the ceasefire removes obstacles to aid deliveries as he welcomed the deal that includes a prisoner and hostage exchange.
Ceasefire deal
The deal, not yet formally announced, outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters news agency.
Israel’s government is expected to vote on the deal on Thursday.
A Palestinian official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters earlier that Hamas had given verbal approval to the ceasefire and hostage return proposal under negotiations in Qatar and was waiting for more information to give final written approval.
As celebrations spread in Gaza's Khan Yunis, Israel said several clauses in the ceasefire deal with Hamas remain "unresolved".
The statement from Netanyahu’s office reads: "Due to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firm stance, Hamas backed down at the last moment from its demand to alter the deployment of forces along the Philadelphi Corridor.
"However, several clauses in the framework remain unresolved, and we hope the details will be finalized tonight."
Egyptian state media said talks were under way to open the Rafah crossing to allow aid into Gaza.
Israel pushed to sign
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly compelled to accept the Gaza ceasefire agreement following pressure from a team appointed by incoming US president Donald Trump.
According to reports, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Netanyahu in Israel after participating in ceasefire negotiations in Doha.
These efforts were said to be instrumental in achieving the recent breakthrough, which had been 15 months in the making.
Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, also met with Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in Jerusalem. The discussions focused on preparations for a potential hostage release agreement, his office announced.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was cutting a visit to Europe short and flying back to Israel overnight to take part in security cabinet and government votes on the deal - meaning the votes would likely be by or on Thursday.
Israeli troops invaded Gaza after Hamas-led gunmen broke through security barriers and burst into Israeli communities on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and abducting more than 250 foreign and Israeli hostages.
Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza health ministry figures, and left the coastal enclave a wasteland of rubble with hundreds of thousands surviving the winter cold in tents and makeshift shelters.
(with newswires)
