Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani commended Hamas's decision to agree to a ceasefire as a responsible measure during a phone call on Wednesday with Ismail Haniyeh, the politburo chief of the movement.

Sudani reaffirmed Iraq's support for this step, which aims to halt the suffering of the Palestinian people and responds to the efforts of Arab brothers to end this suffering.

“Prime Minister Sudani emphasized the need for the international community to take a stand to stop the war in Gaza and for major countries to shoulder their responsibilities in preventing the continuation of the aggression,” read a statement from the Media Office of the Prime Minister.

Sudani highlighted “the urgency due to the occupying forces' insistence on attacking the Rafah crossing, causing a humanitarian disaster and continuing to commit heinous crimes against civilians.”

Haniyeh, during the call, provided a detailed explanation of Hamas's decision to agree to the ceasefire to halt the war in Gaza and respond to Arab efforts.

He expressed his gratitude for the support that Iraq, both its government and people, has offered, including political stances and the dispatch of urgent humanitarian aid to the besieged civilians in Gaza.

Hamas announced on Monday that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar. However, Israel stated that the terms of the deal did not align with its key demands and proceeded with an attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Despite this, Israel confirmed its intention to continue negotiations.

Since the start of war on October 7, there has been a dangerous escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Iran and its allies, including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iraqi paramilitaries operating as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, have been involved in exchanges of attacks with Israel and the U.S. military in the region.

Iraqi paramilitary groups had carried out a number of attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria. In response, U.S. forces retaliated, including a highly debated drone strike on a busy street in Baghdad on February 8.

Iraq has played a significant role in dispatching aid convoys via Jordan to Gaza since the commencement of the conflict on October 7, the latest of which was on March 12 which includes 482 tons of flour and other food items, after Iraq cabinet approved the aid convoy on February.