ISTANBUL

Asian nations welcomed a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, expressing relief while also calling for the parties to respect its terms.

The welcoming statements came after Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani late Wednesday announced the agreement, which is set to take effect Sunday.

“We are relieved to hear that a cease-fire deal has been reached after 15 months of genocidal war in Gaza,” Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said in a statement.



Muizzu also urged the international community to ensure the continuation of the cease-fire and called on Israel to pay reparations to Palestine.

He added that the international community should also provide Palestine with the “urgent support it needs to rebuild after the devastation caused by the Israeli aggression.”

Australia also welcomed the agreement, urging respect for the terms of the cease-fire and an unimpeded and sustained increase in humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza.

"We hope it will allow the Palestinian people the opportunity to rebuild, reform their governance, and pursue self-determination," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a joint statement.

'Need of political will'

New Zealand also welcomed the cease-fire deal “to end hostilities in Gaza,” said Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

“The terms of the deal must now be implemented fully. Protection of civilians and the release of hostages must be at the forefront of efforts. There now needs to be a massive, rapid, unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he said.

Peters also called for a “durable and lasting peace” through “meaningful steps towards a two-state solution” in Palestine.

“Political will is the key to ensuring history does not repeat itself,” he added.



India welcomed the cease-fire in Gaza as well as the agreement for the release of hostages.

"We hope this will lead to a safe and sustained supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. We have consistently called for release of all hostages, ceasefire, and return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy," the Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

'Israel's expansionist designs destabilised region'

Reiterating call for a sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-June 1967 borders, Pakistan also welcomed the cease-fire in the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

Urging "full implementation", the Foreign Ministry said: "It is hoped that the truce would lead to permanent ceasefire and help in scaling up humanitarian assistance."

"Indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupation forces has caused unprecedented loss of lives and property and displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian Palestinians. Israel's expansionist designs have destabilised the entire region," the ministry said.

Japan called the cease-fire in Gaza an “important step toward” long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.

Urging "steady and sincere" implementation of the true, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said: "We will actively engage in international efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as its reconstruction and governance," while staying in close contact with relevant parties."

Welcoming the cease-fire, South Korea hoped the "positive momentum created by the agreement will serve as a foundation for renewed discussions on diplomatic solutions for peace and stability in the region."



The announcement of the cease-fire comes as Israel currently holds more than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, while it is estimated that 98 Israelis are detained in Gaza.

Israel has continued a genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 46,700 people, most of them women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

In November last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Ahmad Adil in New Delhi and Islamuddin Sajid in Islamabad contributed to this story