<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Government of Spain welcomed the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza this Friday and urged the parties to "responsibly fulfill their obligations."</strong></h4> "The Government of Spain welcomes the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which will allow for an end to violence with the withdrawal of the Israeli army to the established withdrawal line, the release of the hostages, and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid to address the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "The Government of Spain maintains its support for the full implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and calls on the parties to responsibly fulfill their obligations," it continued. "The Government of Spain continues working to ensure that this agreement is the first step toward a just and lasting peace based on the implementation of the two-state solution," it concluded. The ceasefire in Gaza began this afternoon, as the Israeli army withdrew to the agreed-upon deployment line in the Palestinian enclave. This ceasefire marks the beginning of the 72-hour deadline for the exchange of hostages in the enclave for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured that troops will remain in Gaza to secure the disarmament of Hamas. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement expressing their "satisfaction" with "the ceasefire agreement in the Middle East, the planned release of hostages, and the resumption of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza." They paid "tribute" to the leadership of US President Donald Trump and the mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and called on all parties to "fully and without delay comply with their obligations."
