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Pope Leo XIV hails Gaza ceasefire agreement

On October 9, US President Donald Trump stated that the Israel-Hamas talks in Egypt had yielded an agreement on the first phase of a peace plan

VATICAN CITY, October 12. /TASS/. Pope Leo XIV has welcomed the agreement between Israel and Hamas and expressed hope for peace in the Holy Land.

"In recent days, the agreement to begin the peace process has given a spark of hope in the Holy Land. I encourage the parties involved to continue courageously on the path they have chosen, towards a just and lasting peace that respects the legitimate aspirations of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples," he said after the traditional Sunday’s Angelus prayer.

He also expressed hope for the cessation of the conflict in Ukraine.

Agreement on Gaza

On October 9, US President Donald Trump stated that the Israel-Hamas talks in Egypt had yielded an agreement on the first phase of a peace plan. According to the US leader, phase one provides for the release of all hostages in the near future and the withdrawal of Israeli forces to agreed positions inside Gaza. Immediately after that, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump and invited him to speak at the Knesset (Israeli parliament).

Overnight to October 10, Netanyahu’s office said that the government had approved the hostage release deal. The Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect from 9:00 a.m. GMT and the Israeli troops began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines. From this time, a 72-hour countdown started until the release of hostages held by the Palestinian movement Hamas in the embattled enclave.

Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh will hot a peace summit on October 13. Trump and a number of European leaders are expected to take part. Hamas has refused to attend, according to senior Hamas official Hossan Badran.