WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas:

“I am relieved that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal to bring an end to the fighting and allow the hostages to finally return home, and I hope the initial ceasefire is transformed into a permanent peace. But we must be clear-eyed about the challenges ahead, and the more difficult negotiations yet to come. Those will require agreement on the future governance of Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament, the full withdrawal of the IDF, mechanisms to deal with security threats emanating from Gaza, restoring the movement of commercial and humanitarian goods, and a proposed international security force – among other contentious issues. This moment is an important milestone, and I urge all parties to fully implement the ceasefire agreement while working towards a permanent peace deal that lays the foundation for a two-state solution and full regional normalization.”