BIDEN WELCOMES TRUCE; UN CALLS ON BOTH SIDES TO ADDRESS ‘ROOT CAUSES’

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS: Leaders from around the world hailed the joint decision of Israel and Hamas to bring the gruesome conflict to an end, with US President Joe Biden crediting Egypt for successfully brokering the truce, and the UN chief urging the warring factions to get down to introspection.

“I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I’m committed to working towards it,” Biden said at the White House, adding that the Egyptian government needs to be praised for brokering the agreement.

UN chief Antonio Guterres, who also welcomed the ceasefire, said Israel and the Palestinians now have a responsibility to have “a serious dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict”. He called on the international community to work with the UN on a “robust package of support for a swift, sustainable reconstruction and recovery” of the Gaza Strip.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas, who recently visited Israel, hailed the latest development, tweeting, “Good that there is now a ceasefire. Now we have to deal with the causes, rebuild trust and find a solution to the conflict.”

The EU welcomed the latest turn of events, and vowed to increase efforts for a long-term “political solution” to resolve the crisis. “The EU welcomes the announced ceasefire bringing to an end the violence in and around Gaza. We commend Egypt, Qatar, the UN, the US and others who have played a facilitating role in this,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Russia and China also welcomed the truce, but both cautioned that more needed to be done to avoid conflicts in future.