The European Union (EU)’s most senior officials have welcomed the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant organisation, Hamas, on the first phase of a peace plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

“Now, all parties must fully uphold the terms of the agreement.

“All hostages must be released safely. A permanent ceasefire must be established.

“The suffering must end,” European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote on X on Thursday morning.

“Today’s opportunity should be seized. It’s the opportunity to forge a credible political path toward lasting peace and security,” she added.

“The agreement on the first phase of the Gaza peace deal marks a significant breakthrough,” EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X.

EU will do what it can to support its implementation, she wrote.

“This is a crucial opportunity that must be used to lay the foundation for a lasting peace, grounded in a two-state solution,” wrote European Council President António Costa.

European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, said the agreement “is a pivotal moment for peace and renewal in the Middle East.

“It opens a path that could finally end the intergenerational cycle of violence, suffering and terror that had plagued the region.

“That gives hope to all those in Gaza looking for a peaceful future and to the families of those hostages still languishing in Hamas’ tunnels,”   she said.

(dpa/NAN)