Vietnam welcomes Israel-Hamas ceasefire, pledges support for Gaza reconstruction

Speaking in Hanoi on Tuesday, the foreign ministry's spokesperson Pham Thu Hang addressed reporters’ questions about Vietnam’s reaction to the recently adopted agreement.

She said that Vietnam welcomes the deal, which aims to bring an early end to the prolonged conflict, and appreciates the mediation and reconciliation efforts of the countries that helped achieve it.

“We call on all parties involved to strictly adhere to the agreement, facilitate the achievement of a two-state solution, and aim for sustainable, long-term peace for the Palestinian issue,” Hang emphasized.

Vietnam supports and is prepared to actively contribute to international efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip, she added, stressing that such initiatives must respect national sovereignty, international law, and the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people.

According to Reuters, airstrikes over the past two years have left much of Gaza in ruins.

Gaza City suffered the heaviest damage, with 83 percent of its buildings affected, according to the United Nations Satellite Center.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported that the conflict generated at least 55 million metric tons of rubble in Gaza, of which only around 81,000 metric tons has been cleared so far.

UNDP warned that full recovery of the territory is expected to take decades.

Since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7, 2023, the Israel-Hamas fighting has claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people in Israel and 68,000 civilians in Gaza.

During the conflict, Hamas detained 251 Israeli hostages.

On October 13, after nearly two years of clashes, Hamas in Gaza released all remaining Israeli hostages, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the terms of the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement.