TEHRAN, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Thursday welcomed the deal to implement a four-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as agreed upon by Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
In a statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani described the truce "as a first step toward the complete cessation of the Israeli war crimes against Palestinian civilians, including women and children."
He said that the development was an outcome of days of resistance by the people of Palestine and the resistance forces.
Iran will join efforts to completely secure and continue the truce, stop Israel's killing of Gazans, and ensure swift aid delivery to the "defenseless" people of the Palestinian enclave, he added.
Israel and Hamas on Wednesday initially agreed to enact a four-day temporary ceasefire in Gaza, starting on Thursday. Under the deal, Hamas agreed to release some hostages taken to Gaza in exchange for some Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
However, Israel's National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi said in an announcement late Wednesday the deal would not, as expected, come into effect on Thursday.
On Thursday, both Israel and Hamas confirmed that the ceasefire would take effect on Friday morning. Both Egypt and Qatar, which both helped broker the deal, also confirmed the news on Thursday. ■
