Israel, Hamas, US officials and world leaders on Wednesday hailed the ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed on to the initial phase of his 20-point peace plan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “a great day for Israel” and said he would convene his cabinet to approve the agreement.
Mr Netanyahu thanked Mr Trump and his team “for their mobilisation for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages”.
“With the help of the Almighty, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbours,” he said.
The initial phase of the plan involves the release of all hostages remaining in Gaza and the retreat of Israeli troops to an agreed-upon line.
Hamas called on Mr Trump, “the guarantor states, and all Arab, Islamic and international parties” to ensure the ceasefire with Israel is fully implemented.
Hamas asked that Israel be prevented “from evading or delaying the implementation of what has been agreed”.
Hamas lauded Palestinians in Gaza, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank for their “sacrifices and heroic stances” that it said “have thwarted the Israeli occupation’s plans of subjugation and displacement”.
Mr Trump said “it’s going to be a different world”.
“People are going to be taken care of,” he told Fox News's Hannity programme. “I think, really, the Middle East came together. Amazingly, they came together.”
He added: “This is more than Gaza. This is peace in the Middle East. That's an incredible thing.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres commended the diplomatic parties involved in brokering this “desperately needed breakthrough”.
“I urge all concerned to abide fully by the terms of the agreement,” he said. “The suffering must end.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the agreement must be implemented in full without delay.
It must be “accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza”, Mr Starmer added.
He said it would be a moment of profound relief, especially for the hostages, their families and the civilian population of Gaza.
“We call on all parties to meet the commitments they have made, to end the war, and to build the foundations for a just and lasting end to the conflict and a sustainable path to a long-term peace,” Mr Starmer said.
Canada also welcomed the breakthrough and called for “immediate and unimpeded humanitarian aid”, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it as a “ray of light”.
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his country was ready to send troops if peacekeeping forces were needed in Gaza.
In the Middle East, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said he hoped the deal "would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution", leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The UAE, one of the original backers of the deal, said it hoped the agreement would be a "positive step towards ending the humanitarian suffering".
A Foreign Ministry statement said the UAE hoped it would lead to "a just and lasting settlement that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people and restores security and stability to the region".
Saudi Arabia said it hoped the deal would "lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering ... achieve a full Israeli withdrawal, restore security and stability, and initiate practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution".
In America, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, posted on X that Mr Trump was “the President of peace”. Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna said the same in her own social media post.
Republican Representative Joe Wilson said: “President Trump continues his legacy as a peacemaker. Grateful for the support of regional allies in reaching this historic agreement for the betterment of all.”
Senator Markwayne Mullin said in a social media post: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” In announcing the agreement, Mr Trump used the same quote from the Bible.
Senator Lindsey Graham said he was “beyond thankful” that the hostages will return home and said it was imperative that Hamas be completely disarmed in the second phase of the ceasefire plan.
“They must also be written out of the future of any Palestinian government,” he wrote in a post on X. “Anything short of this will only get us back to the old ways.”
The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial agency that took up delivering aid to the enclave amid the Israeli blockade, welcomed the news of the agreement.
“We thank all those who worked tirelessly to make it a reality,” it said in a post on X. “We are hopeful that this will create conditions on the ground that enable the needs of all Gazans to be met.”
