UK welcomes 'moment of profound relief' with Gaza peace plan

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who is on an India visit welcomed an agreement on the first phase of the Gaza peace plan to halt IsraelHamas hostilities on Thursday as a moment of profound reliefThe agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt Qatar and Turkiye will see the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the entry of aid into GazaI welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trumps peace plan for Gaza said Starmer in a statement released from 10 Downing Street in LondonThis 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 he saidThe UK PM hailed the tireless diplomatic efforts of Egypt Qatar Turkiye and the United States supported by regional partners in securing this crucial first stepThis agreement must now be implemented in full without delay and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on lifesaving humanitarian aid to Gaza We call on all parties 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 and a sustainable path to a longterm peace said StarmerThe Prime Minister said the UK will support the crucial immediate steps and the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace planDuring a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai he added that the UK hopes this first phase leads to a sustainable path to a longterm peaceIndia has also welcomed the agreement with Prime Minister Modi describing it as a reflection of the strong leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuWe hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace he said in a social media statementEuropean Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is encouraged by the support given by the Israeli government and the Palestinian AuthorityNow all parties must fully uphold the terms of the agreement she saidOf the 251 people taken by Hamas on October 7 2023 there are believed to be 48 hostages still being held in Gaza 20 of whom are thought to be aliveSo far 148 people have been returned as part of previous ceasefire deals with 51 bodies recovered and eight hostages rescued Phase one of the latest agreement announced by Trump earlier would see Hamas release all the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in GazaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever