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Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question about an Israel-Hamas agreement to cease fire in the Gaza Strip

9 October 2025 18:34
1678-09-10-2025

Question: Reportedly, on October 9, following several days of indirect talks in the Egyptian town of Sharm el-Sheikh, Israel and Hamas reached an initial agreement to cease fire in the Gaza Strip and to exchange detainees. Under the deal, all remaining Israeli hostages in the enclave, as well as the bodies of deceased Israelis, will be released soon. In return, Israel will free around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences. The agreement also provides for a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces to the agreed-upon positions, the lifting of the Gaza blockade, and unfettered access to humanitarian aid for the people in need. What does the Foreign Ministry make of this agreement?

Maria Zakharova: Russia welcomes the deal which was largely made possible through the persistent and coordinated efforts of Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish, and US mediators. These diplomatic efforts certainly deserve high praise. For us, putting an end to the suffering of civilians is the top priority. It is crucial that both parties fully and consistently implement all their commitments at this and ensuing stages.

We hope the ceasefire will be sustainable this time and help ensure long-term stability in the Gaza Strip, make possible the return of internally displaced persons, and create proper conditions to begin large-scale reconstruction of the infrastructure that was almost completely destroyed during the hostilities.

We believe that successful implementation of the agreement will open the door to a renewed political process for a Middle East settlement based on well-established international legal principles that call for the creation of an independent Palestinian State coexisting peacefully and securely with Israel. We are convinced that the realisation of the two-state formula approved by UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions will help establish a lasting and just peace in the Middle East.