Agreement for a Ceasefire and Hostage Release in Gaza, 16 January 2025

Singapore welcomes the announcement of a multi-phase ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza. Too many innocent people have endured immense suffering and the loss of loved ones in the past 15 months.

Singapore hopes this agreement will pave the way for increased delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of all the hostages.

We will continue to work with our partners in the region, especially Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Cyprus to support humanitarian initiatives for the civilians in Gaza. We will also step up our engagement of the Palestinian Authority through our Enhanced Technical Assistance Package that focuses on capacity building and scholarships.

Singapore hopes that in the fullness of time, both the Israelis and Palestinians will reach a negotiated two-state solution consistent with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. This is the only viable path to achieving a comprehensive, just, and durable solution to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

16 JANUARY 2025

TRANSCRIPT OF REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN ON THE MULTI-PHASE CEASEFIRE AND HOSTAGE RELEASE AGREEMENT, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SINGAPORE, 16 JANUARY 2025

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishan: Singapore welcomes the recent agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release of hostages.

For the past 15 agonising months, too many people have suffered and there has been too much death and destruction. So at least now, there is a glimmer of hope and light at the end of what is a very long and tortured tunnel.

I was in touch with the Prime Minister of Qatar, and I congratulated him for his assiduous and painstaking efforts over the past 15 months to arrive at this stage. It is an achievement but as you all know, there are multiple stages to this agreement. Nevertheless, what this does do is that it sets the stage for a cessation of hostilities and just as important, a surge in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. I was in touch with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia yesterday, and the Jordanian Foreign Minister, and earlier on, we had also been working very closely with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. We focused especially on the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

And on this note, I want to thank Singaporeans for their generosity over the past one year. Singapore and Singaporeans have donated more than S$18 million so far. We have had six tranches of humanitarian assistance provided to the Palestinian people. Next week, Minister Maliki will be in Jordan to handover a cheque to the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation. A week or two thereafter, we intend to send a further air-delivered shipment of humanitarian supplies to the Palestinian people. The reason for the phone call with Jordan is that we intend to deliver and work with our Jordanian counterparts to make sure that these supplies reach the Palestinian people in Gaza who are in need. We expect to also embark on further fundraising, especially during Ramadan. It is important for us to continue to remember that there are people in parts of the world who need help, and need it desperately. We will continue to support the Palestinians.

In the medium to longer term, we will also work closely with the Palestinian Authority. We have been in touch, and both Minister Maliki and I have visited Ramallah regularly. We have been focusing on capacity development and on scholarships to help them prepare, even at this moment of both tragedy and opportunity, for the Palestinian Authority to make a difference to the daily lives of Palestinians, especially in Gaza. So, you will see us step up our engagement with the Palestinian Authority.

In the long term, Singapore still holds the position that we do need a negotiated two-state solution. That is the only way we are going to have a comprehensive, just and durable peace between these two peoples who are going to be permanent neighbours, and do deserve to be able to live in peace, security, and dignity.

So, in summary, we welcome this agreement, and we commit to working with our partners in the Middle East to step up the delivery of humanitarian assistance. We will work closely with the Palestinian Authority, and we hope that eventually, direct negotiations between Israelis and the Palestinians will result in a viable, secure and peaceful two-state solution.