'Momentous opportunity': World reacts to first stage of Gaza peace deal
"The suffering must end," the UN Secretary General said, welcoming the deal
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World leaders have welcomed the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a Gaza peace plan.
The deal paves the way for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the entry of aid into Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the agreement "a great 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," he said.
"With God's help, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbours."
Hamas said the negotiations were "responsible and serious" and called on 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".
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads Hamas's rival Fatah movement, also welcomed Trump's announcement.
He "expressed hope that these efforts would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution... leading to an end to the Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state".
Watch: Palestinians react to Gaza peace deal announcement
In a Truth Social post announcing the agreement, US President Donald Trump said it was a "GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America".
He added: "We thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen."
For his part, Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said "the world is witnessing a historic moment".
"This agreement does not only close the chapter of war - it also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region for a future defined by justice and stability," he said.
The other key mediator, Qatar, said in a statement that the agreement "offers hope for lasting calm in Gaza and highlights the power of joint mediation grounded in reason, not escalation".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Trump for demonstrating "the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire".
He added that Turkey would "closely monitor the strict implementation of the agreement and continue to contribute to the process".
UN Secretary General António Guterres described the agreement as a "momentous opportunity", adding that the UN will support the "full implementation" of the deal, increase its delivery of humanitarian aid and advance its reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Guterres urged all parties to obey the terms of the deal, including releasing Israeli hostages, abiding by a permanent ceasefire, and immediately allowing humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
"The suffering must end," he said.
Watch: Israelis celebrate deal to return hostages
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the deal was a moment of "profound relief that will be felt around the world". He called on all sides "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".
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has led international efforts to recognise an independent Palestinian state, said the agreement "must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solution".
Looking to the future, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said: "For the first time in a long while, there is a real prospect of peace in the region."
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been vocal critic of Israel's war in Gaza, welcomed the deal.
But he stressed that "it is now time to engage in dialogue, to assist the civilian population, and to look to the future with hope, but also with justice and with remembrance so that the atrocities experienced are never repeated".
Ireland, which has also been as critical of Israeli policies, said the deal, "if grasped by all, can finally end the unconscionable human suffering".
"It can stop the dreadful bombing, silence the guns, end the famine and genocide, and allow a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza," Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said.
China, one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, said it "hopes to see the achievement of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza at the earliest opportunity, to effectively alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and ease regional tensions".
China, its foreign ministry spokesman said, "advocates upholding the principle of 'Palestinians governing Palestine' and advancing the implementation of the two-state solution".
President Vladimir Putin said Russia was willing to support efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza and hoped "that these initiatives of the US president will actually be realised in practice".
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "After more than two years of conflict, hostages held and a devastating loss of civilian life, this is a much needed step towards peace," and "We urge all parties to respect the terms of the plan."
Regional powers were also quick to add their voice of support for the deal.
Jordan's King Abdullah hailed it as a "key step" to ending the war and promised to support Palestinians in their quest for "statehood in their own soil" - a sentiment echoed by the United Arab Emirates which also said it hoped the agreement would pave the way for a "settlement that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people and restores security and stability to the region".
Saudi Arabia hoped the deal would "lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering".
Iran, which was attacked by Israel in June, emphasised that it was "the responsibility of the international community to prevent the occupying regime's violations of its obligations".
Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary general of humanitarian affairs, wrote on X: "Great news. Let's get the hostages out and surge aid in - fast."
The World Health Organization (WHO) stood "ready to scale up its work to meet the dire health needs" in Gaza, its director-general said.
The WHO will also "support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system" in the region, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding: "The best medicine is peace."
James Elder, spokesperson for Unicef, the UN children's organisation, in Gaza, said he saw "for the first time in a long time... an immense amount of relief right now" - but also "emaciated children".
There is a lot to be done, Elder said, and today "is a very, very important beginning".
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