Leaders react to agreement on Gaza ceasefire

(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel and Hamas had reached a deal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release under the first phase of his plan for ending the two-year-old war in the Palestinian enclave.

Following are comments on the agreement from leaders and officials around the world:

U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

"This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. 

"All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!"

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU 

"A big day for Israel...I thank from the bottom of my heart President Trump and his team for their dedication to this sacred mission of freeing our hostages.

"With God’s help, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors."

THE ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT (HAMAS)

"We call on President Trump, the guarantor states of the agreement, and all Arab, Islamic, and international parties to compel the occupation government to fully implement its obligations under the agreement and to prevent it from evading or delaying the implementation of what has been agreed upon."

"We affirm that the sacrifices of our people will not be in vain, and that we will remain true to our pledge — never abandoning our people’s national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination are achieved."

ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER BEZALEL SMOTRICH

"Mixed emotions on a complex morning: Immense joy for the return of all our abducted brothers! ... Great fear of the consequences of emptying prisons and releasing the next generation of terror leadership, which will do everything to continue spilling rivers of Jewish blood, God forbid. For this reason alone, we cannot join the short-sighted celebrations and vote in favour of the deal.

"A tremendous responsibility to ensure that this is not, God forbid, a deal of 'hostages in exchange for stopping the war,' as Hamas thinks and boasts... and that immediately after the hostages return home, the State of Israel will continue to strive with all its might for the true eradication of Hamas and the genuine disarmament of Gaza, so that it no longer poses a threat to Israel."

U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES

"I urge all stakeholders to  seize this momentous opportunity to establish a credible political  path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, and achieving a two-state solution that enables Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.

"The stakes have never been higher."

TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to U.S. President Trump, who demonstrated the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire. As Turkey, we will closely monitor the strict implementation of the agreement and continue to contribute to the process."

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER

"This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years."

GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ

"For the first time in a long while, there is a real prospect of peace in the region."

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

"This agreement must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solution...France stands ready to contribute to this goal. We will discuss it this afternoon in Paris with our international partners."

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE AND FOREIGN MINISTER PENNY WONG

"After more than two years of conflict, hostages held and a devastating loss of civilian life, this is a much-needed step towards peace...We urge all parties to respect the terms of the plan."

NEW ZEALAND FOREIGN MINISTER WINSTON PETERS

"This is an essential first step towards achieving lasting peace. We urge Israel and Hamas to continue working towards a complete resolution."

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT ROBERTA METSOLA

"This is a pivotal moment for peace and renewal in the Middle East and opens a path that could finally end the intergenerational cycle of violence, suffering and terror that has plagued the region."

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR-GENERAL TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS

"WHO stands ready to scale up its work to meet the dire health needs of patients across Gaza, and to support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system.

"The best medicine is peace."

(Compiled by Lincoln Feast and Timothy Heritage; Editing by Jamie Freed, Kate Mayberry, Clarence Fernandez, Peter Graff)