Foreign Secretary statement on Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

Today’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement is a moment of hope after over a year of agony, following Hamas’s appalling attack on 7 October 2023.

For the hostages and their loved ones, including British citizen Emily Damari, and Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or, this has been an unbearable trauma.

For the people of Gaza, so many of whom have lost lives, homes or loved ones, this has been a living nightmare.

For the region, this has brought yet more division and conflict.  

With this agreement, hostages and their families will be reunited and Gazans can begin to rebuild their lives. I pay tribute to the tireless diplomatic efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the incoming and outgoing US administrations.

Much remains to be done – to implement all phases of the deal in full and establish a pathway to lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

From our first day in office, this Government has pressed for an immediate ceasefire, to free the hostages, and to bring relief, reconstruction and hope to civilians who have suffered so much.  

We will play our full part in the coming days and weeks, working alongside our partners, to seize this chance for a better future.