Swinney welcomes Gaza deal and urges both sides to 'abide by the terms'

John Swinney has welcomed the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan, and he has urged both sides to “abide by the terms of the agreement”.

News broke this week that a peace deal had been agreed upon between Hamas and Israel.

Under the agreement, US President Donald Trump confirmed that “all hostages will be released very soon” and that Israeli troops would begin to withdraw.

The development comes just over two years since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Some 1,200 people were killed, and militants took 251 people hostage.

In the ensuing conflict and Israeli military bombardment of the territory, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed.

On Wednesday night, Trump said that both sides had agreed to the first phase of this 20-point ceasefire and release deal, which he described in a post on Truth Social as marking “the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace”.

At First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Swinney welcomed news of the peace agreement.

“I call on all sides to abide by the terms of the agreement, for the release of all hostages and for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he added.

“After more than two years of devastating brutality and loss of life, I know that this will be a moment of relief for many here in Scotland and around the world.

“I reiterate my call that Palestinians and Israelis must be able to live safely, side-by-side, based on a two-state solution, and I dearly hope that this is the first step towards that outcome.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also welcomed the ceasefire, which he said would be the “end of bloodshed and the release of hostages”.

“This must be real, and it needs to last, but it must be backed up by an urgent surge in aid into Gaza and a meaningful pathway to an end of the illegal occupation and a lasting peace,” Sarwar said.