Leaders around the world have welcomed the news that Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire deal after 15 months of bloodshed in Gaza and have urged both sides to seize the moment to bring an end to the conflict and the accompanying humanitarian crisis.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said member states stood ready to support the implementation of the deal and “scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief to the countless Palestinians who continue to suffer”.
It was “imperative” that the ceasefire removed “the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza”, he added.
The US president, Joe Biden, said the Palestinian people had “gone through hell”, adding: “Too many innocent people have died. Too many communities have been destroyed. Under this deal, the people of Gaza can finally recover and rebuild.”
The US president-elect, Donald Trump, said in a post on his Truth Social website: “This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November … I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”
He added: “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.” He made no mention of Palestinian victims.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the agreement would reunite hostages with their loved ones and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“This brings hope to an entire region, where people have endured immense suffering for far too long,” she said. “Both parties must fully implement this agreement, as a stepping stone toward lasting stability in the region and a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.”
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, expressed hope that the deal would “[open] the door to a permanent end to the war and to the improvement of the poor humanitarian situation in Gaza”. He said the agreement needed to be “implemented to the letter” and all the hostages released.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, described the deal as “the long-overdue news that the Israeli and Palestinian people have desperately been waiting for”.
Once humanitarian aid had reached those in need in Gaza, Starmer added, “our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people – grounded in a two-state solution that will guarantee security and stability for Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine state”.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the president of Egypt, which has played a pivotal role in the negotiations, hailed the strenuous efforts made by his country, saying it would “always remain faithful to its covenant, a supporter of just peace, a loyal partner in achieving it, and a defender of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people”.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, said: “We respectfully salute the heroic people and brave sons of Gaza who courageously defended their land and freedom against Israel’s unlawful and inhumane attacks.”
South Africa, which has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, welcomed the agreement which it said came “after 15 months of Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza after Hamas and other armed groups launched an attack on Israel”.
Its international relations department said the deal was a “crucial first step toward ending the severe humanitarian crisis faced by the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip” and called for “immediate and massive humanitarian aid … to provide relief to civilians in Gaza”.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, which has been launching rocket attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, said it saluted “Gaza’s legendary and historic resilience in the face of Israel’s fiercest aggression against the oppressed Palestinian people.
“With its continued occupation of Palestine, [Israel] represents a threat to the security and stability of the region,” he added.
Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who has been one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s prosecution of the war, welcomed the news, saying: “It must bring an end to the conflict, allow the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza to be dealt with, and lead to the release of all the hostages.”
Sánchez also expressed the hope that the ceasefire could be “an indispensable step on the path toward the two-state solution and towards a just peace that respects international law”.
Belgium’s prime minister, Alexander De Croo – who had also criticised Israel’s conduct in the conflict – said: “We feel tremendous relief for the hostages, for their families and for the people of Gaza. Let’s hope this ceasefire will put an end to the fighting and mark the beginning of a sustained peace.”
The Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, called for Palestinian institutions to be strengthened so that they could “assume full control and responsibility, including in Gaza”.
He also urged “credible security guarantees” for both Israel and Palestine, and said the solution needed to be anchored regionally.
Simon Harris, the taoiseach of Ireland – which joined Spain and Norway in officially recognising a Palestinian state in May last year – said the news was “welcome after 15 months of immense human suffering and destruction”.
He added: “I hope that all sides will seize this opportunity and that the international community plays its part too, surging aid into Gaza, supporting a renewed Palestinian Authority to bring stability and governance to Gaza, and working to put a process in place that can lead to peace.”
The office of Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, hailed “an important opportunity to substantially increase humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of Gaza”.
It said Italy was ready to work with its European and international partners to stabilise and reconstruct Gaza “with a view to relaunching a political process towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution”.
New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, welcomed the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and looked “forward to the ceasefire being fully implemented and an end to the terrible human suffering”.
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and his foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said all parties must respect the terms of the deal and that it “must mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Israeli and Palestinian people”.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said he was “hugely relieved by the news”, adding that it as “imperative that it now holds” and urging all parties and countries with influence to “ensure the success of next stages”.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of Unrwa, the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency – which Israel is attempting to ban from its territory – called for “rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access and supplies to respond to the tremendous suffering caused by this war”.
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, welcomed the deal saying that “peace is the best medicine” but cautioned that “health needs in Gaza remain enormous” and said that the body was prepared to scale up its efforts.
“Too many lives have been lost and too many families have suffered. We hope all parties will respect the deal and work towards lasting peace,” he said.
Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said she hoped the agreement marked “a new beginning” adding that “the coming days are critical and we are counting on the parties to hold to their commitments.
“While the agreement is welcome, it is not the end. There are immense humanitarian needs that must be addressed, which will take months, if not years.”
The executive director of the World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, said a ceasefire was “the start – not the end. We have food lined up at the borders to Gaza – and need to be able to bring it in at scale. For this: We need all border crossings open and to be able to move food safely from the crossing points to the people in need across Gaza.”
Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this report
