The President of the Republic welcomed this Monday, October 13th, the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Recalling that among the 20 freed hostages are Portuguese nationals, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa highlighted the “importance of this first step towards a fair and lasting Peace”.
“The ceasefire also constitutes a decisive step in this direction”, he added, in a note published on the presidency’s website.
“The President of the Republic hopes that the next steps will materialize as foreseen in President Trump’s Peace Plan and that it will finally be possible for the two States and the people of the region to finally see the future with hope and in Peace”, it further reads.
This Monday, Hamas released the 20 live hostages, all men, held in Gaza, seven of them early in the morning and the remaining 13 a few hours later. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the agreement, although the timing of the handover has not yet been disclosed.