PM Modi and US President Donald Trump (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s brokered first phase of the Gaza peace plan and expressed hope for “lasting peace.” The agreement comes after two years of ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.PM Modi wrote on X, acknowledging Netanyahu’s “strong leadership”: “We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu.”He added, “We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace.”Earlier in the day, Trump had announced the peace deal between Israel and Hamas on Truth Social, calling it the first steps towards “a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”