Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Arab leaders welcomed a ceasefire deal announced between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday night, but urged parties to work quickly towards increasing the flow of aid to Gaza after 15 months of war.
The truce will begin on Sunday and last six weeks initially, including the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, who mediated the talks along with the US and Egypt.
Donor nations and NGOs have stockpiled thousands of tonnes of aid at the southern Gaza border and a major operation is expected in the coming days, once they are given access.
Many Gazan families are living in tents and surviving on 100 grams of bread a day. Many deaths caused by malnutrition have been reported in recent weeks.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has "stressed the need for both parties to abide by the agreements and commitments reached in order to end the suffering of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli detainees", the ministry said.
He called for "the urgent and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need and to allow its flow by all means and without obstacles to end the critical humanitarian conditions facing civilians for more than 15 months".
The UAE praised the role Qatar, Egypt and the US played in the achievement to end the conflict. More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023, health authorities in the enclave said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi emphasised the "importance of accelerating the entry of urgent humanitarian aid" into Gaza as he welcomed the ceasefire agreement.
Mr El Sisi, whose country borders Gaza, said the deal came after "strenuous efforts over more than a year of Egyptian, Qatari and US mediation", adding that Egypt "will always remain faithful to its promise, supporting a just peace, a sincere partner in achieving it, and a defender of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people".
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The International Rescue Committee said on Wednesday that aid priorities must include unsafe water, overcrowded shelters and damaged infrastructure, including hospitals, as well as hunger.
"IRC teams inside Gaza are seeing alarming rates of severe and acute malnutrition among children under five, with famine conditions predicted in parts of northern Gaza," the group said in a statement.
Aid entry into Gaza has been restricted for almost the entire conflict, which broke out after Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping 240. Wednesday's agreement allows for some hostages to return home.
The UN has complained of aid obstacles in Gaza throughout the 15-month war. Israel and lawlessness in the enclave have impeded entry and distribution, the UN added.
Aid groups echoed the calls by Arab leaders for urgent aid to enter the enclave, with UN children's agency calling the deal "long overdue".
"The war has exacted a horrific toll on Gaza's children, reportedly leaving at least 14,500 dead, thousands more injured, an estimated 17,000 unaccompanied or separated from their parents, and nearly one million displaced from their homes," the group said in a statement.
"The scale of humanitarian needs is enormous, and Unicef and partners are ready to scale up our response."
International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric said it was "ready to facilitate any release operation" as part of the deal.
"There are no words to describe the level of suffering that Palestinians and Israelis are enduring on a daily basis," she added. "This nightmare has gone on for far too long. The suffering must end."
Israel has said the quantity of aid delivered to Gaza, which it claims is more than a million tonnes over the past year, has been adequate. But it accuses Hamas of hijacking supplies before they reach Palestinians in need. Hamas has denied the allegations and blamed Israel for shortages in the enclave.
The UN said it has been preparing how to increase Gaza aid operations.
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Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that Israel was forced to retreat. "Everyone will realise it was the patience of the people and steadfastness of Palestinian resistance and Resistance Front that forced the Zionist regime to retreat," he said on X.
The Resistance Front refers to an alliance of militant groups backed by Iran, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that the ceasefire represented a "great victory" for the Palestinian resistance.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for “an immediate international move to bring in enough and sustained humanitarian aid to confront the humanitarian disaster caused by the Israeli aggression against Gaza”.
He added that “real effort” must be now exerted to rebuild the enclave.
Saudi Arabia called for commitments to end Israeli "aggression" on Gaza after welcoming the ceasefire, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would continue to stand with the Palestinian people, including those in Gaza "who courageously defended their land and freedom against Israel's unlawful and inhumane attacks".
"We have never left our Palestinian brothers alone for a moment in their struggle against oppression and tyranny," Mr Erdogan said. "God willing, we will continue to stand by the people of Gaza and mobilise all our resources to heal Gaza's wounds and help it get back on its feet."
US President Joe Biden said he was "deeply satisfied this day has come, finally come". UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the agreement "long-overdue news" and said his country would help "secure long-term peace" for Palestinians and Israelis.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "both parties must fully implement this agreement, as a stepping stone towards lasting stability in the region". French President Emmanuel Macron said the truce should be respected, with a "political solution" to come.
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz believed the deal "opens the door to a permanent end to the war and to the improvement of the poor humanitarian situation in Gaza" and said it must be "implemented to the letter".
