S. Korea welcomes Israeli-Hamas cease-fire agreement

SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday welcomed an agreement between Israel and the Hamas militant group to end 11 days of deadly fighting, voicing hope that the two sides can chart a course for enduring peace in the region.

After mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt and others, Israel and the Hamas militants have agreed to a cease-fire to take effect Friday (local time), easing concerns that the latest escalation of tensions could spiral into a full-blown war.

"The government welcomes the agreement between the parties involved in the Israeli-Palestine armed clash to end their fighting on May 21, and highly assesses the crucial role that the U.S., Egypt and other concerned countries played in the (mediation) process," Choi Young-sam, the foreign ministry spokesman, said in a commentary.

"The government hopes that the cease-fire agreement will be faithfully implemented and that negotiations for the establishment of enduring peace between Israelis and Palestinians will quickly resume," he added.

Choi offered messages of solace to civilian victims of the fighting and their families, saying the Seoul government will make contributions necessary to help improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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