African countries have welcomed a deal on the Gaza Strip ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was reached after more than a year of negotiations.
In a statement on X, African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said: “I wish to commend the crucial role played by Qatar, Egypt & the USA.”
He said the continental body calls for the immediate a nd full implementation of the agreement and wishes that justice and peace prevail for the people of Palestine.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also commended the efforts of Qatar, Egypt, and the US in brokering the agreement.
Urgent aid
Mohamud emphasized the importance of sustaining the ceasefire and urged the international community to expedite the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
“With this agreement, I stress the need for collective efforts to stabilize the ceasefire and prioritize the swift provision of humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suff ering in Gaza,” he said in a statement issued by the presidency on Thursday.
“I welcome the ceasefire agreement in Gaza after over a year of strenuous efforts, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on social media.
He emphasized the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
'Sustainable peace'
“This agreement highlights the importance of quickly providing critical aid to the people of Gaza to address the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, without any obstacles, until a sustainable peace is achieved through a two-state solution,” he said
Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to supporting a just peace, remaining a steadfast partner in achieving it, and defending the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
'Lasting peace'
In a statement, South Africa's foreign ministry called for "implementation of a just and lasting peace that ensures the human rights of both Palestinians and Israelis".
“The ceasefire agreement is a crucial first step towards ending the severe humanitarian crisis faced by the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has deemed to be plausibly genocidal,” Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said.
The announcement of the ceasefire came on day 467 of Israel's genocide against Gaza, which with US backing has caused more than 156,000 casualties, most of them women and children.
The war has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters in recent times.
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