Church leaders are welcoming the Gaza peace deal, praying that it will "bring immediate relief and comfort".
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was among the first to give his reaction.
Describing it as “good news”, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said:
“Obviously, we are very happy. It is first step, first phase. Of course, there are many others. For sure, there will be other obstacles, but now we have to rejoice about this important step that will bring a little more trust for the future and also bring a new hope for both Israelis and Palestinians.
"Now we finally see something new and different, of course, now also there will be a new atmosphere for the continuation of negotiation, also for all the life inside Gaza that will remain terrible for a long time. But now we are happy, and we hope that this is just the beginning of a new phase where we can, little by little, start thinking not about war, but about how to rebuild after the war.”
Church of England bishops with a close connection to the Holy Land have also been giving their reaction.
The Bishop of Southwark, Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the Middle East, together with the Bishops of Chelmsford Rt Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Gloucester Rt Rev Rachel Treweek and the Bishop of Norwich, Rt Rev Graham Usher said there now needs to be a "fundamental shift in attitudes and behaviour" to secure long-term peace.
They said that what had happened in Israel and Gaza "must never be allowed to happen again, anywhere" and pledged to continue to stand in solidarity with the Churches of the Holy Land:
"We hope and pray that today’s agreement will bring immediate relief and comfort to those imprisoned and held hostage, to those who are hungry and homeless and to those fearful for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. After two years of unimaginable death and destruction now is the time for all parties to turn away from war and commit to peace.
"A credible peace must start with a ceasefire, but it will not last without a fundamental shift in the attitudes and behaviours that, for too long, have maintained Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and thwarted Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The settler violence in the West Bank must cease and the settlement-expansion programme must be reversed.”
They’ve called for a two-state solution “that provides for a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
"To that end, we will continue to stand in solidarity with the Churches of the Holy Land in ensuring that their people’s voices, including their hopes and their anxieties as to the future, are not ignored in the weeks and months ahead.
"A lasting peace is not one that that is imposed by outside powers, but one that is built and owned by the affected communities themselves. Palestinian Christians have an important part to play in that process and we will support them in their efforts to be peacemakers."