Leaders in the United States and around the world praised the recent events Ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas Wednesday.
Biden announced the terms of the ceasefire during a press conference on Wednesday at the White House. It will consist of two phases and will take place over the next few weeks.
The first phase, which is scheduled to begin Sunday, includes “full and complete ceasefire, Biden said: “The withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas in Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women, the elderly, and the wounded.”
The second stage is conditional on Israel negotiating the “necessary arrangements” to bring a complete end to the war.
Citizens gather in Republic Square to celebrate the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Paris, Wednesday. (Luc Overett/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The response to the deal was very positive. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was “very encouraged” to see the ceasefire come to fruition.
“This is something I have called for for months over the past year since the brutal, horrific attack on innocent civilians in Israel that occurred on October 7 of last year,” Hochul said. “My main priority was to return the hostages to their homeland.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote on X that he felt an “indescribable sense of relief” about the return of the hostages.
“The return of the hostages will mark the beginning of closure for Israelis and Jews, as well as countless others, who remain deeply affected by terrorism and the indelible trauma of October 7,” Torres wrote. “The hostages were repatriated thanks to the strength of the strongest friendship in the world — the relationship between the United States and Israel.”
The deal also attracted international attention. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the ceasefire as “long-awaited news” in a statement.
Fox News gets an inside look at the IDF's war against Hamas
Hundreds of people, demanding the immediate return of prisoners held by Hamas, gathered banners and pictures of prisoners to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government outside the Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday. (Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“They (the Israeli and Palestinian people) have borne the brunt of this conflict – sparked by the brutal Hamas terrorists, who committed the deadliest massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023,” Starmer said. “The hostages, who were brutally torn from their homes that day and held in unimaginable conditions ever since, can now finally return to their families.
“But we must also take this moment to pay tribute to those who will not come home – including the British people killed by Hamas. We will continue to mourn and remember them.”
In an X post translated from French to English, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the ceasefire must be respected.
“After 15 months of inexplicable ordeal, A great relief for the people of Gaza, “Hope for the hostages and their families,” Macron said, also referring to the French-Israeli hostages Ohad Yahalomi and Ofer Calderon.
Although many celebrated, some expressed caution about the possibility of the deal falling through.
President Biden delivers remarks on the recently announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, while Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken join him in the Cross Room of the White House, Wednesday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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John Kirby, the White House's national security communications adviser, said on Wednesday that the “big hurdle” — which included finalizing the deal — had been “surmounted.”
“Hopefully this weekend we will start to see some families reunited,” Kirby said, adding that he is “confident” the agreement will be implemented, despite the hard work that lies ahead.
Fox News Digital's Joshua Cummins contributed to this report.
