ISTANBUL

The Palestinian Authority and factions commended on Thursday a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas to end Tel Aviv’s war on the Gaza Strip.

President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an agreement to cease the war in Gaza, withdraw Israeli occupation forces, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and facilitate a prisoner exchange.

In a statement on US social media company X, Abbas expressed hope that “these efforts would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution” that would lead to the end of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian lands, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Palestinian factions also hailed the ceasefire agreement as a result of “the steadfastness and resistance of the Palestinian people, efforts of mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, and the responsibility and flexibility shown by the Palestinian delegations during the negotiations.”

“For two years of the Zionist (Israeli) genocide, our priority has been to reach an agreement that achieves an immediate and comprehensive cessation of war, lifting the siege, entry of humanitarian aid, reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and implementing a prisoner exchange deal,” the factions said in a statement.

A ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas early Thursday in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, based on a plan presented by Trump. The deal was announced after days of negotiations between Israel and Hamas in the Red Sea city.

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.