Maldives, Australia and New Zealand welcomed a cease-fire agreement announced Wednesday between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, expressing relief while also calling for the parties to respect its terms.
"We are relieved to hear that a cease-fire deal has been reached after 15 months of genocidal war in Gaza," Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said in a statement shortly after Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the agreement, which is set to take effect Sunday.
Muizzu also urged the international community to ensure the continuation of the cease-fire and called on Israel to pay reparations to Palestine.
He added that the international community should also provide Palestine with the "urgent support it needs to rebuild after the devastation caused by the Israeli aggression."
Australia also welcomed the agreement, urging respect for the terms of the cease-fire and an unimpeded and sustained increase in humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza.
"We hope it will allow the Palestinian people the opportunity to rebuild, reform their governance, and pursue self-determination," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a joint statement.
New Zealand also welcomed the cease-fire deal "to end hostilities in Gaza," said Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
"The terms of the deal must now be implemented fully. Protection of civilians and the release of hostages must be at the forefront of efforts. There now needs to be a massive, rapid, unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza," he said.
Peters also called for a "durable and lasting peace" through "meaningful steps towards a two-state solution" in Palestine.
"Political will is the key to ensuring history does not repeat itself," he added.
The announcement of the cease-fire comes as Israel currently holds more than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners, while it is estimated that 98 Israelis are detained in Gaza.
Israel has continued a genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 46,700 people, most of them women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.