<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Spanish Government welcomed this Sunday the entry into force of the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the first three hostages, “who have been unjustly held hostage for more than 15 months”, and conveyed its best wishes for their recovery.</strong></h4> “It is important that the ceasefire is consolidated and allows the release of the remaining hostages and the massive entry of humanitarian aid of which Spain will be part, for which the work of UNRWA is essential and irreplaceable,” declared the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, after Hamas handed over to the International Red Cross three women who are part of the total of 33 hostages who must be released in this initial phase of the ceasefire agreement: Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher. “It is essential that negotiations between the parties resume immediately to advance to the successive phases of the agreement,” it continued. “Spain will support the stabilization efforts in Gaza, which will only be viable if the Palestinian Authority assumes its governing responsibilities in all Palestinian territories, reestablishes security and basic services and prepares the reconstruction of Gaza,” it added. “The Government of Spain will continue to work with regional partners and allies to promote the implementation of the two-state solution, which is the best guarantee of peace and stability for the region,” the statement concluded. For its part, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) has celebrated “with emotion” the release of the first three hostages that “the terrorist organization Hamas kidnapped on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel.” “We expectantly hope that the agreement continues to be fulfilled and the rest of the kidnapped hostages are also returned to their families safe and sound,” the FCJE said in a statement. "We hope that the suffering of innocent people will end and that optimal conditions will be created for dialogue to lead to an understanding that will lead to a safe and peaceful life between Palestinians and Israelis," it concluded.
