(MENAFN) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday expressed strong support for the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, describing the development as “encouraging” and a potential breakthrough for long-awaited regional peace.

“They offer new hope – for the hostages and their families, for the people in Gaza, and for the entire region,” Merz wrote on X, the social media platform owned by a US company.

“For the first time in a long while, there is a real prospect of peace in the region,” he emphasized, urging all involved to uphold their commitments. Merz reaffirmed that Germany would “firmly support” efforts to sustain the truce and pursue a durable end to the conflict.

His comments followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that Israel and Hamas had agreed to implement the first stage of a U.S.-brokered peace proposal.

The 20-point framework, initially unveiled on Sept. 29, outlines key steps including a complete ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees, the dismantling of Hamas' military capabilities, and the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza.

Since the conflict escalated in October 2023, Israeli strikes have claimed the lives of nearly 67,200 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children. The prolonged assault has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, triggering mass displacement, severe food shortages, and the spread of disease.

The humanitarian toll and scale of destruction have prompted growing international pressure for a resolution.

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