US and world leaders on Wednesday praised the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
Biden announced the terms of the ceasefire during a news conference at the White House on Wednesday. There will be two phases and it will take place over the next several weeks.
The first phase, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday, includes a “full and complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, and the release of the many hostages held by Hamas, including women and the elderly.” Injured,” Biden said.
The second phase is dependent on Israel negotiating “necessary arrangements” to mark a complete end to the war.
When Biden was asked whether Trump deserved credit for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, he said, ‘Is this a joke?’
Citizens gather in the Place de la Republique in Paris on Wednesday to celebrate the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. (Luc Offret/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Reaction to the deal was overwhelmingly positive. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was “very encouraged” to see the ceasefire come to fruition.
“This is something I have said for several months last year, ever since the horrific, barbaric attack on innocent civilians in Israel on October 7,” Hochul said. “My main priority is to bring the hostages home.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote on Twitter that he felt “an indescribable sense of relief” about the return of the hostages.
Torres wrote, “The return of the hostages will mark the beginning of closure for Israelis and Jews, as well as countless others who have been deeply affected by the indelible terror and trauma of October 7.” “The hostages have been brought home by the power of the world’s most powerful friendship – the US-Israel relationship.”
The deal also attracted international attention. In a statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the ceasefire “long overdue news.”
Fox News takes an inside look at the IDF’s war against Hamas
Hundreds of people demanding the immediate return of prisoners held by Hamas gather with photos of prisoners and banners to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government outside the Defense Ministry building in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday Happened. (Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
,[The Israeli and Palestinian people] “We have borne the brunt of this conflict – launched by the brutal terrorists of Hamas, who on October 7, 2023 carried out the deadliest massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Starmer said. ”The hostages, who were brutally removed from their homes for days and then held in unimaginable conditions, can now finally return to their families.
“But we must also use this moment to pay tribute to those who will not be able to get home – including the British people murdered by Hamas. We will continue to mourn and remember them.”
In an ex post translated from French to English, French President Emmanuel Macron said the ceasefire must be respected.
“After 15 months of unjustified suffering, great relief for Gazans, hope for the hostages and their families,” Macron said. He also mentioned Ohad Yahalomi and Ofer Calderon, two French-Israeli hostages.
Although many are celebrating, some have expressed caution about the possibility of the deal failing.
President Biden delivers remarks on the recently announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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On Wednesday, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said “major hurdles” — including finalizing the deal — had been “overcome.”
Hopefully, this weekend, we’ll start to see some families reunified,” Kirby said, adding that despite the hard work ahead, he was “confident” the deal will be implemented.
Fox News Digital’s Joshua Comins contributed to this report.
