German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said today that after months of negotiations, the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the radical Palestinian group "Hamas", which "would be painful" for the Israeli side, is within reach, Reuters reported, quoted by bTA.
"We understand how painful any agreement with the terrorist organization "Hamas" is for Israel, but the lives of the hostages must now be of paramount importance," Scholz said.
The German Chancellor added that this is an opportunity with the ceasefire to alleviate the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip.
The conflict in the enclave erupted on October 7, 2023, after "Hamas" carried out an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israeli territory. According to Israeli data, nearly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 hostages were taken to Gaza. According to information from the "Hamas" Health Ministry Palestinian casualties from the Israeli counter-offensive now exceed 46,000.