NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s brokered first phase of the Gaza peace plan and expressed hope for “lasting peace.” The agreement comes after two years of ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.PM Modi wrote on X, acknowledging Netanyahu’s “strong leadership”: “We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu.”He added, “We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace.”Earlier in the day, Trump had announced the peace deal between Israel and Hamas on Truth Social, calling it the first steps towards “a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”President Trump announced the first phase of Gaza peace deal on Truth Social, writing, “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
