00:00Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister Dr. Emery Brown tells TV6 News Trinidad and
00:05Tobago has been clear and consistent on the need to bring the conflict in the
00:09Middle East to an end and on the importance of achieving a sustainable
00:13peace. TV6 News was taught a comment from the Foreign Minister on Wednesday
00:17following international media reports that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a
00:22deal to halt the war in Gaza and free the remaining hostages. The Associated
00:27Press is reporting any deal still needs to be approved by Israel's cabinet
00:32although they'll likely say yes and if the deal is adopted it will unfold in
00:37three phases. AP is reporting that phase one starts on Sunday and will involve a
00:43six-week halt to fighting would begin opening negotiations on ending the war.
00:4833 of the nearly 100 hostages would be released over that period although it's
00:53unclear if more than half are alive. The AP is also reporting that the United
00:59States says that this phase also includes a withdrawal of Israeli forces
01:03from densely populated areas of Gaza which would allow many displaced
01:08Palestinians to return to what's left of their homes. Foreign and CARICOM Affairs
01:13Minister Brown told TV6 News that far too many civilians including women and
01:18children have been slaughtered. Minister Brown added that Trinidad and Tobago's
01:22address to the United Nations General Assembly a few months ago gave specific
01:27focus to that issue and the nation's dedicated diplomats at the UN and
01:32elsewhere have been doing their part toward a two-state solution. Trinidad and
01:38Tobago's Foreign Minister declared quote our nation is a principled and
01:41responsible member of the international community and as Minister of Foreign and
01:46CARICOM Affairs I express relief and satisfaction that significant progress
01:50has now been made to end the fighting and bring more humanitarian relief to
01:55the innocent people that have survived the terror and genocide end quote. AP is
02:01reporting negotiations for phase two are to begin on day 16 of the ceasefire
02:05while phase three calls for the return of the remaining bodies of hostages
02:11still in Gaza and the start of a major reconstruction in Gaza which faces
02:17decades of rebuilding. Jule Brown TV6 News.
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