PM Modi welcomes Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, lauds Netanyahu's 'strong leadership'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (October 9) welcomed the agreement between Israel and Hamas on the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, describing it as a step towards lasting peace in the region.

Modi also lauded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the agreement a "reflection of his strong leadership", while expressing hope that it would provide relief to the people of Gaza and pave the way for a durable peace.

Also Read: Israel, Hamas agree to ‘first phase’ of Gaza truce, hostage-prisoner release

Modi welcomes Israel-Hamas agreement

"We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump's peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu," Modi posted on X.

Expressing optimism for stability in Gaza, the Prime Minister added that the release of hostages and increased humanitarian assistance "will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace".

India has consistently maintained that it supports all diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring calm and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Trump hails 'landmark achievement'

Modi’s remarks came hours after Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the "first phase" of his peace initiative to pause the fighting and facilitate the release of at least some hostages and prisoners.

"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

"This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly," he said in a social media post.

Trump hailed the accord as a landmark achievement, calling it "a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America," thanking mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for facilitating the talks.

Also Read: Israeli destruction of Gaza shatters myth of ‘modern, progressive’ world

Ceasefire agreement confirmed

Both Israel and Hamas have confirmed the broad terms of the deal, marking the most significant breakthrough in the devastating two-year-old conflict.

Posting on social media, Netanyahu said, "With God’s help, we will bring them all home," referring to the hostages still held by Hamas. He added that the Israeli Cabinet would meet on Thursday to formally approve the agreement.

Hamas, for its part, confirmed its agreement to the plan and said the deal includes a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the entry of humanitarian aid, and a comprehensive hostage-prisoner exchange. The group called on Trump and the guarantor nations to ensure Israel "fully implements" the ceasefire.

Also Read: 'Trump's Gaza plan is welcome as it signals end to Israeli assault'

Trump's Gaza peace plan

The breakthrough comes just one day after the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which triggered a large-scale Israeli military response and escalated into one of the region’s most violent conflicts in decades.

The deal, brokered through indirect negotiations in Egypt, forms the initial stage of Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan.

If implemented fully, it would represent the closest the two sides have come to halting a war that has spread beyond Gaza, involving Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon, and reshaping the geopolitics of the Middle East.

According to AP quoting sources familiar with the matter, Hamas intends to release all 20 living hostages within days, while the Israeli military is expected to begin its withdrawal from the majority of Gaza.

Despite the optimism surrounding the deal, several issues remain unresolved — including the timeline for Israel’s withdrawal, the post-war administration of Gaza, and Hamas’s future political role in the governance of Gaza.