Saudi Arabia, Jordan welcome Gaza ceasefire agreement

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – Saudi Arabia and Jordan hailed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on Thursday to end a two-year war in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry welcomed the approval of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement based on US President Donald Trump’s plan.

“The Kingdom values the effective role of US President Donald Trump and the mediation efforts exerted by the brotherly states of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Türkiye in reaching this agreement,” the ministry said.

Riyadh considered the deal as “a basis for urgent work to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, achieve the complete Israeli withdrawal, and restore the security and stability.”

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed appreciation for “the significant efforts” made by Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Türkiye to reach the ceasefire deal.

He emphasized the necessity of adhering to the agreement and fully implementing its terms to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

Safadi stressed the need for concerted efforts to deliver sufficient and immediate humanitarian aid to end the famine in Gaza.

A ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas early Thursday in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, based on a plan presented by Trump.

The 20-point plan, first announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.