GENEVA

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday welcomed the agreement on the first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, calling these first steps "encouraging."

"They offer new hope – for the hostages and their families, for the people in Gaza, and for the entire region," Merz said in a post on the US social media company X.

"For the first time in a long while, there is a real prospect of peace in the region," he underlined.

Urging all parties to keep their promises, end the war, and pave the way for lasting peace, the chancellor said Germany will continue to "firmly support" this process.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza deal.

The 20-point plan, first announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children.

The relentless bombardment has left Gaza largely uninhabitable, leading to widespread starvation and diseases.