World welcomes Gaza hostage deal

The world celebrated on Wednesday the news that Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to release hostages and halt the fierce fighting and bombing in Gaza.

About 240 people—from babies to elders—were captured during the October 7 assault by Hamas that claimed the lives of around 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, as per Israeli authorities.

Israel hit back with a bombing spree and ground invasion in Gaza, which, as per the Hamas regime in the area, has taken the lives of 14,100 people, mostly civilians, including thousands of children.

US President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude to the leaders of Qatar and Egypt for their “vital leadership” in reaching the deal.

“I am extremely happy that some of these courageous souls… will be back with their families once this deal is fully executed,” Biden said, referring to the hostages.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron hailed the deal as “a vital step towards easing the suffering of the families of the hostages and tackling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi applauded the deal and noted “the persistence of the Egyptian efforts to achieve lasting and stable solutions… to ensure the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.