Scottish leader welcomes Gaza ceasefire deal, urges all sides to honor plan

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney on Thursday welcomed agreement on the first phase of a ceasefire deal in Gaza, urging all sides to “abide by the terms of the agreement.”

In a statement, the SNP leader said "I want to welcome the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan for Gaza."

"I call on all sides to abide by the terms of the agreement, for the release of all hostages and for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza," he added.

Swinney said the announcement would bring "a moment of relief” after “more than two years of devastating brutality and loss of life."

"After more than two years of devastating brutality and loss of life, I know that this will be a moment of relief for many here in Scotland, and around the world." He also reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.

"I reiterate my call that Palestinians and Israelis must be able to live safely, side-by-side, based on a two-state solution, and I dearly hope that this is the first step towards that outcome," he said.

The agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas early Thursday in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan presented by US President Donald Trump, and has already taken effect. Trump said Israeli hostages will be released "very soon" and Israeli forces would withdraw to an "agreed upon line" as the first step for peace.

The plan includes the release of all Israeli captives, living or dead, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, withdrawal of Israeli forces, governance of Gaza by a transitional committee and its rebuilding.

The deal was announced after days of negotiations between Israel and Hamas in the Red Sea city.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, and rendered the territory largely uninhabitable.