Sri Lanka has welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which came into effect following 15 months of war with Israel.
Issuing a statement, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the ceasefire will be sustained.
“We are hopeful that the ceasefire arrangement, which paves the way for the exchange of hostages and detainees, the return of internally displaced persons to their places of residence in Gaza, and the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, will be sustained,” it said.
The Foreign Ministry further said that Sri Lanka was also optimistic that these developments would contribute to the establishment of sustainable peace in Palestine and the region.
The ceasefire between Palestine and Israel came into effect at 11:15 am local time on Sunday after Hamas handed over a list of three female captives to be released as part of the deal to Israel through mediators.
Before the ceasefire came into effect, at least 19 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday, taking the total death toll in the 15-month conflict to nearly 47,000.
At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and about 250 were taken captive, which continued into a 15-month-long conflict. (Islandnews/ Al Jazeera)
