Israel/Palestinian Territories – Ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza (15 Jan. 2025)

France welcomes the conclusion of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement for Gaza. It thanks the mediators, particularly the United States, Qatar and Egypt, for their efforts that made this agreement possible, and calls on the parties to implement it immediately.

For more than a year, France has been calling for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of hostages and the massive and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave, in order to end the intolerable suffering of civilians and work on a political solution.

This agreement should enable the release of all hostages still in captivity in Gaza, including two French nationals, Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi. France fought untiringly for their release, from the very first days to these last hours. We are totally committed to ensuring they can be reunited with their loved ones.

Today, more than a year after the 7 October massacres committed in Israel by Hamas, which cost the lives of almost 1,200 people, including 49 French nationals, and after 15 months of war that followed and that has subjected Gaza’s people to extreme suffering and destroyed almost all vital infrastructure, the ceasefire must absolutely be implemented and sustained. The absolute humanitarian emergency in Gaza must be addressed, and reconstruction work must begin immediately.

France calls for all Gaza access points to be opened immediately and for the work of international organizations and humanitarian agencies to be facilitated by Israel, in accordance with international law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice. Life must once again prevail in Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority should administrate this Palestinian territory, and its return must be prepared.

France calls for the friends of Israel and Palestine to seize the opportunity offered by this ceasefire to trigger an irreversible process for the effective implementation of the two-state solution, with security guarantees for both the Israelis and the Palestinians, which is the only avenue to ensure a just and lasting peace.

France is committed to this, alongside its partners, within the United Nations Security Council and all international forums. In June 2025, it will co-chair, alongside Saudi Arabia, an international conference on the implementation of the two-state solution. France calls on the Israelis and Palestinians to take the only path that will guarantee them a future of peace and security.