Iran Guards hail Gaza ceasefire as 'victory' for Palestinians

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday hailed a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and the Hamas group as a "victory" for Palestinians and a "defeat" for Israel.

"The end of the war and the imposition of a ceasefire... is a clear victory and a great victory for Palestine and a bigger defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement.

Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also welcomed the deal which "made the Zionist regime fail in achieving its strategic goal."

He called for "action to punish the criminal regime and heal the wounds of the Palestinian nation."

On Wednesday Qatar and the United States announced a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas.

The truce would take effect on Sunday and involve the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, after which the terms of a broader peace deal would be finalised.