I am writing to update you about the welcome news that a ceasefire and hostage release deal has been agreed between Hamas and Israel.

The Foreign Secretary announced details of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas to the House of Commons and given your interest in this matter I wanted to share them with you. I am sure that you will agree with me that after living in agony for over a year, this offers some light at the end of the tunnel for those living in the region and their loved ones.

After 15 months of conflict, the level of suffering defies belief. Palestinians in Gaza have truly been trapped in hell on earth. Over 46,000 people have been killed. So many children’s lives have been extinguished. Schools, hospitals and homes destroyed and hunger and disease is rife across the region. Almost two million people have been forced to flee their homes, with northern Gaza cut off from the rest of the Gaza Strip.

I cannot imagine the suffering of those people captured by Hamas and held hostage by Hamas. The attack on Israel on 7 October was the biggest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust.

The ceasefire began yesterday at 11:15 local time and is expected to follow three stages:

In the first 6-week phase we expect:

• both parties should stop fighting
• 33 of the hostages will be freed – children, women, those over 50 and the wounded
• Israel will start to redeploy to the edge of the Strip
• Palestinians will return to what is left of their homes
• the Rafah crossing will reopen
• Israel will allow 600 truckloads of aid into Gaza each day
• on the 16th day, negotiations will begin on the detail of the second phase

In this second 6-week phase:

• the male hostages under 50 would be released
• Israel would complete its withdrawal from Gaza
• there would be a permanent ceasefire

Finally, a third phase would see the return of the bodies of any remaining hostages and the lifting of economic restrictions on Gaza.

So far, 3 hostages have been released by Hamas and 90 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel. This is welcome but there is no celebration from me. Too many people have been killed. I have been calling for a ceasefire for many, many months. I stressed that this is not easy or quick and it will involve considerable efforts to reach an agreement.

Ultimately, it will take time to rebuild Gaza. There is still much to be done but we must recognise the importance of this moment. It has taken too long to get here, but it is vital that the UK, and the rest of the international community continues to provide the support needed to rebuild Gaza and to ensure that this ceasefire leads to lasting peace in the region.

I hope that now a ceasefire and hostage release deal has been agreed that all those in the Middle East and in the wider international community can focus on achieving a two state solution with a secure and stable Israel alongside a viable and successful Palestinian state. I support recognition of Palestine as a state, a vital step if we are to get to a two state solution.

The scenes of horror on our screens have underlined the importance of achieving a lasting peace. I am grateful for people sending me their views and for making, often, direct and strong cases. I believe in peace and I want to see an end to violence. We now need to see equal effort to drive towards a two state solution and a lasting peace and the UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of these crucial efforts to break the cycle of violence and secure long-term peace in the Middle East.