The agreement reached overnight between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages has sparked widespread hope around the world. Leaders across Europe and beyond hailed the deal — the first phase of President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan — and urged both sides to fully implement it.
Congratulatory messages poured in Thursday morning, particularly from European leaders eager to see an end to the mass anti-Israel protests that have created mounting political pressure across their countries.
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The leaders of Spain, France and Italy
(Photo: JAIME REINA / AFP, Christophe PETIT TESSON / POOL / AFP, Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron, who last month spearheaded an international initiative to recognize a Palestinian state, signaled he would continue pushing for that goal. In a post on X, Macron wrote: “This agreement must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solution. France stands ready to contribute to this goal.”
Macron announced that Paris would host an international summit later Thursday to advance Trump’s peace framework. Israel has accused Macron of “harmful interference” in the conflict, saying he is seeking to distract from political turmoil in France, where his prime minister recently resigned.
Other European leaders avoided direct references to the two-state issue. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the deal signed in Sharm el-Sheikh “wonderful news” and “a unique opportunity to end this conflict that must absolutely be seized.” Her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said Italy was ready to send a peacekeeping force to the region if needed.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the moment as “profound relief that will be felt around the world but particularly for the hostages, their families and the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years.” He said the deal’s terms “must be implemented immediately and in full,” and called for the swift removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.
His political rival, Nigel Farage, posted a brief message on X: “Huge congratulations to President Trump and his team. Real progress between Israel and Hamas is a great achievement.”
Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the deal “must also be a step towards a just and lasting peace,” while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez — who has been one of Europe’s harshest critics of Israel — also welcomed the agreement. Sánchez, who has previously accused Israel of genocide and backed an arms embargo, said the deal “may be the beginning of a lasting and just peace,” adding: “Now is the time to engage in dialogue, assist the civilian population and look to the future. With hope. But also with justice and with memory. So that the atrocities experienced are never repeated again.”
Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin urged all sides to “fully abide by this ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, and an immediate surge of humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has recently faced criticism for calling for sanctions on Israel, said “The EU will continue to support the swift and safe delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” adding that the EU “will be ready to help with recovery and reconstruction.”
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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with Donald Trump at the White House, last month
(Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who played a direct role in brokering the deal, sent “special thanks” to Trump, saying the U.S. president “demonstrated the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire.” Erdoğan, whose intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın represented Turkey in the negotiations, is hoping his cooperation will lead the U.S. to lift its ban on selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. Trump recently hinted that ending the embargo “depends on what Erdoğan does for us.”
Erdoğan said Turkey would “closely monitor” the ceasefire’s implementation and vowed continued support for the Palestinian cause.
Messages of support also came from around the world — from China, which called for a “permanent ceasefire,” to Pakistan, which described the deal as one that “could end the genocide in Gaza and secure a historic opportunity for lasting peace in the Middle East,” and India, whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed hope for “the hostages’ safe return, increased aid to Gaza and the way for lasting peace.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres thanked Trump and mediating nations — Qatar, Egypt and Turkey — calling the deal “a desperately needed breakthrough.” He urged both sides to use this moment “to establish a credible political path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and achieving a two-State solution that enables Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.”
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Argentine President Javier Milei alongside Benjamin Netanyahu in New York, September
(Photo: Avi Ohayon, GPO)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said “the developments in Israel are encouraging,” while Argentina’s President Javier Milei, known for his strong affinity for Judaism and Israel, hailed what he called a “historic peace agreement.” Milei noted that the deal came just days after the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre and pledged to join other world leaders calling for President Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. “Any other leader with such achievements would have received it long ago,” Milei said.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow supported the deal.
Arab leaders also welcomed the agreement. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose country hosted the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, said: “The world is witnessing a historic moment that represents the triumph of the will for peace over the logic of war.” He added: “From Sharm el-Sheikh — the land of peace, dialogue and reconciliation — a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza have been achieved after two years of suffering, under the peace plan proposed by President Trump and sponsored by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. This agreement not only opens a new chapter in the conflict but also opens the door to hope for the peoples of the region — for justice and stability.”
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi praised the “intense mediation efforts” led by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, and thanked Turkey for its involvement. He called on all parties to “adhere to the agreement, implement its terms fully, end the war and address the consequences of the attacks.” Safadi also highlighted Jordan’s “deep appreciation” for Trump’s decisive role in reaching the deal.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement welcoming the agreement and urging the full implementation of Trump’s peace plan, which it said aimed to “end the war and pave the way for a comprehensive and just peace.” Riyadh also thanked Trump, along with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, but notably made no mention of the hope in Washington and Jerusalem that the ceasefire could lead to normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun also expressed support, saying: “We hope this agreement represents a first step toward a permanent ceasefire.”