World leaders urge aid, war's end after Gaza deal

World leaders urge aid, war's end after Gaza deal
by AFP Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) Jan 16, 2025

World figures hailed the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, urging them to stick to it and hurry aid to Gaza civilians.

Here is a roundup of reactions from official statements, broadcast remarks and online messages.

- UN: Urgent aid -

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".

- Biden: 'Thrilled' -

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.

- Trump: No terrorist 'haven' -

Incoming US president Donald Trump vowed to "work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven".

- EU: 'Fully implement' -

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: Lasting stability -

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".

- Saudi Arabia: End 'Israeli aggression' -

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry stressed "the need to adhere to the agreement and stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza," calling 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".

- Brazil: Permanent end -

Brazil's foreign ministry called on the parties to "respect the terms of the accord, to guarantee a permanent end to hostilities, the freeing of all hostages and the free entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza".

- China: Opportunity -

China's foreign ministry spokesman said Beijing hoped "that relevant parties will take the ceasefire in Gaza as an opportunity to promote the easing of regional tensions".

- Egypt: Aid call -

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.

- Jordan: Swift aid -

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called on world powers to ensure the "sufficient and durable" delivery of aid to Gaza.

- Iraq: Immediate aid -

Iraq's foreign ministry stressed the "need to immediately allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories" and "intensify international efforts to rebuild" areas damaged during Israel's Gaza offensive.

- Iran: 'Retreat' -

"Today, the world realised that the patience of the people of Gaza and the steadfastness of the Palestinian resistance forced the Zionist regime to retreat," Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, adding that Israel was "defeated".

- France: Political solution -

France's President Emmanuel Macron said the agreement must be "respected" and followed by a "political solution".

- Germany: Permanent end -

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".

- Britain: 'Overdue' -

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: 'Step to peace' -

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her country "expects that all the hostages can finally return to their families" and saw an "opportunity to significantly increase humanitarian assistance" to Gaza civilians. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called it an "important step towards peace".

- Pakistan: Lasting solution -

Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry said it hoped the truce would lead to a permanent ceasefire and allow an increase of aid to Gaza and reaffirmed its support for a "just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian question".

- UN rights chief: Relief -

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".

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