Canada welcomes Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the announcement Wednesday of a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement in the Gaza Strip.

"Congratulations to (US) President (Donald) Trump for his essential leadership and thank you to Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye for their tireless work to support the negotiations," Carney said on the US social media company X's platform.

Expressing relief over the upcoming hostage release, he said: "After years of intense suffering, peace finally feels attainable."

"Canada calls on all parties to swiftly implement all agreed terms and to work towards a just and lasting peace," he added.

His remarks came shortly after Trump announced that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have signed off on the first phase of a US-proposed Gaza deal.

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 disease.