The Church of Scotland has joined other churches and organisations across the world in giving a cautious welcome to the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and calling for steps to be taken towards a permanent peace.

The ceasefire took effect from January 19, bringing a halt to 15 months of war.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, said he welcomed the ceasefire with ‘cautious joy’: “We congratulate those who have been working publicly and behind the scenes to get to this point, and we pray that this signals the beginning of not only a permanent ceasefire and a lasting peace, but a peace which brings justice for all those involved.”

He called for the release of hostages and prisoners to take place ‘as fast as possible’, and for humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza to ‘be prioritised as a matter of extreme urgency’.

Dr Paterson added: “The provision of humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza must also be prioritised as a matter of extreme urgency.

“We recognise that this ceasefire alone is not enough to bring about a just and lasting peace.

“There must be a fundamental shift in the wider context of Israel, Palestine, encompassing an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and with Palestinian self-determination.

“To this end, we again urge the UK Government to do all it can to support this process, including recognising the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.

“Please continue to pray, in the weeks and months ahead, for all who strive to ensure that this promise of peace becomes a reality, and for everyone living with the consequences of such a horrendous and devastating conflict.”

The ceasefire was also welcomed by World Council of Churches general secretary, the Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay, who said: “The WCC laments the fact that it has taken 15 months, and the loss of 46,000 lives – the majority of them women and children – for the conflict parties to reach agreement for this ceasefire to halt at least temporarily the killing and destruction. We appeal to them now to make the ceasefire permanent, and to commit to negotiations on the root causes of the violence and repeated cycles of conflict in the region, to ensure a sustainable peace founded upon equal human rights and justice for all in the region.”

The Rev Dr Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, said: “The ceasefire in Gaza is a reminder of the need for persistent efforts to transform conflict into dialogue and division into unity. While this moment brings hope, it must inspire concrete actions to address the underlying causes of injustice and suffering. The WCRC supports all who are working toward a peaceful and equitable future.”