Arab countries welcomed the news announced following the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States, after three days of contacts in the resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the first phase of the peace plan and expressed his hope that these efforts would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution, leading to ending Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with the borders of June 4, 1967.

Abbas stressed Palestine’s readiness to work to ensure the success of the talk proposal and to complete the negotiations in their subsequent stages.

We welcome the news and call for urgent action to soften the suffering of Gaza residents and move towards a just peace based on the two-state solution, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In a similar vein, Jordanian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Ayman Safadi called for full implementation of the provisions of the agreement, an end to the war and addressing the catastrophic consequences of Israeli aggression.

jdt/jav/mem/rob