European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the extension of the truce between Israel and Hamas.
“I once again call on the Hamas terrorists to release all hostages taken during their horrific attack of October 7th,” she said in a statement.
“In the past four days, it has been heart-warming to see the first Israeli hostages freed, along with hostages of other nationalities. I also welcome the substantial increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians civilians in Gaza made possible by this pause in the hostilities,” continued von der Leyen.
“The agreement reached today extends this window of hope, allowing more civilians in Gaza to have access to essential aid. As of today, the European Commission has organized an air bridge, with 20 flights completed bringing almost 900 tons of much needed humanitarian supplies to Gaza via Egypt. And additional 4 flights are already planned for this week.”
Von der Leyen also thanked all parties involved in securing the new agreement and added, “In particular, I would like to thank the authorities of Qatar, Egypt and the US for their tireless diplomatic efforts in reaching this deal.”
Finally, she wrote, “The European Union will continue to stay in close contacts with all international partners to work on achieving a political solution that ensures peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, based on the two-state solution.”