ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday welcomed the first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, stressing that Ankara will closely monitor its implementation.

The agreement, the first phase of a US-led peace plan, was announced earlier Thursday by US President Donald Trump and involves a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the exchange of hostages.

Erdogan stated that Turkey will play an active role in ensuring the deal is upheld and emphasized Ankara's unwavering support for the broader Palestinian cause.

“As Turkey, we will closely monitor the implementation of the agreement to the letter and will continue to contribute to the process. Likewise, we will continue our struggle in Palestine until an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with territorial integrity is established on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said in a post on X. 

Erdogan expressed his satisfaction that the Hamas-Israel talks, to which Turkey contributed, resulted in the ceasefire. He thanked  Trump, Qatar, and Egypt for their support in reaching the agreement.

The initial phase of the peace plan, intended to progress into a longer-term security plan that includes the potential disarmament of Hamas, was accepted by both Israel and the Palestinian militant group following indirect talks. The proposal is reportedly a 20-point plan.

The deal has been hailed regionally and internationally as a major breakthrough aimed at ending the war.

The indirect talks leading to the agreement were hosted in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. The delegations included Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

The agreement comes after two years of sustained conflict in the region. According to Gaza's health ministry, the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of over 66,000 people, the majority of whom are civilians.

The high casualty count has led to growing international backlash, including a torrent of recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by several Western countries, which has put increasing pressure on Israel and its allies to bring an end to the hostilities.