Ukraine welcomes ceasefire deal, hostage release between Israel, Hamas

ISTANBUL

Ukraine on Monday welcomed the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Gaza and prisoner-hostage swap conducted between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas a day earlier.

“We hope that the parties will be able to achieve in practice a sustainable end to the armed conflict, which has led to irreparable human losses and serious destruction of social and humanitarian infrastructure facilities,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Hamas released three Israeli hostages, while Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, as the ceasefire took effect.

The truce also allowed Palestinians to return to their homes, while relief trucks delivered much-needed aid.

Calling on the parties concerned to adhere to the commitments undertaken as part of the deal, the ministry said Ukraine highly appreciated mediation efforts of the US, Qatar, and Egypt.

It noted the importance of ensuring unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip for relevant UN structures and international humanitarian organizations, expressing Kyiv’s readiness to continue providing support to those in need, particularly on the supply of food.

“In the context of the prospects for wider normalization in the region, we proceed from the fact that the practical implementation of the principle of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, is the only way to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace, as well as regional stability,” the statement said.

It added that the peace process in the Middle East “must be restored through the parties' unconditional implementation of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, as well as other previously reached international agreements.”

Nearly 47,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities. The war has left Gaza in ruins.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X described the prisoner-hostage swap as a "deeply meaningful moment," saying Kyiv hopes for "further progress toward security, stability, and normal life in the entire Middle East."