Hamas "Gaza ceasefire is a major turning point"...Welcome to the Middle East.

When news broke that Hamas and Israel, which had been in Gaza's war for more than 15 months, agreed to a ceasefire, Middle Eastern countries welcomed it with one voice.

Hamas issued a statement on the 16th local time, saying the conclusion of the ceasefire, which includes a six-week suspension of fighting and the release of 33 hostages, would be a major turning point.

Hamas said, "The agreement to stop the attack on Gaza is an achievement made by our people and the free people of the world," adding, "We thank the arbitrators for their great efforts."

Saudi Arabia, the Arab leader, welcomed a cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel in a statement named by the foreign ministry, while President Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called for permanent peace in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi of neighboring Jordan appealed for the international community to provide sufficient aid to help Gaza's war-torn people.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "ready to support the implementation of this agreement and expand the scale of continued humanitarian relief for suffering Palestinians."