Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday that the ceasefire and hostage detention agreement between Israel and Hamas is an important first step towards lasting peace.

Trudeau did not use the term ceasefire, but said Canada hopes the four-day ceasefire agreement will eventually help end the fighting altogether.

He also expressed hope that the agreement would pave the way for more Canadians to leave the Gaza Strip. Israeli airstrikes that lasted six weeks devastated large parts of Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip.

This initial halt was made possible after efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. Under the agreement, Hamas will release 50 hostages, and in return, 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel will be released.

The Israeli government said it would extend the ceasefire by an additional day for every 10 hostages released, while Hamas promised to allow hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including fuel, into Gaza.

The Canadian Global Affairs Ministry also said a Canadian is missing but did not confirm whether this person is being held hostage. The United States cited in a statement on Saturday a group of about 240 hostages including American and Canadian citizens.

Trudeau told reporters at the parliament building this Wednesday morning: "This is significant progress, but we now need to double our efforts to move towards lasting peace."

This humanitarian truce is what Canada and other countries have called for weeks. This would eventually allow the release of hostages. This will enable large amounts of humanitarian aid to reach civilians and innocent people in Gaza who are in urgent need.

And this will allow the protection of civilians’ lives, including, we hope, the evacuation of more Canadians and foreign nationals.