Cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah welcomed

A cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon-based group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after weeks of arduous negotiations, raising hopes that the temporary halt in fighting could pave the way for permanent peace.

The development was widely welcomed by world leaders, officials, and aid groups, but with guarded optimism.

International humanitarian organizations urged all parties to sustain the momentum in hopes of also reaching an end to the ongoing fighting in Gaza.

In a joint statement by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, they said Israel and Lebanon "have accepted a cessation of hostilities" and "will create the conditions to restore lasting calm".

They said this would allow residents of both countries to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon, as they vowed to enforce the arrangement "to prevent this conflict from becoming another cycle of violence".

US envoy Amos Hochstein, who mediated the negotiations, told Al Jazeera that it "is a permanent cease-fire" and "not for 60 days", but emphasized there was "a lot to do in these 60 days".

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the development, according to a report by the L'Orient Today news platform.

Mikati said he saw it as an essential step toward restoring calm and stability in Lebanon, including the return of displaced persons. He also demanded that Israel respect the cease-fire.

Way back home

Hours after the cease-fire took effect early on Wednesday, displaced residents of south Lebanon started returning to their homes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the length of the cease-fire would depend on what happens in Lebanon.

"We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. We will continue united until victory," he said.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing supports all efforts that contribute to easing tensions and achieving peace, and welcomes the cease-fire agreement reached by relevant parties.

At the same time, China believes the failure to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza is the root cause of the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East. All parties should work together to promote an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza, Mao added.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the agreement for a cease-fire in Lebanon is a relief amid the devastating situation in the Middle East, adding it "is now crucial that the cease-fire holds" to guarantee the safety of both Lebanese and Israeli citizens.

In a post on X, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced that Iran welcomes the news about the end of "aggression against Lebanon".

In a statement, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said: "The secretary-general urges the parties to fully respect and swiftly implement all of their commitments made under this agreement … to undertake immediate steps toward the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006)."

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in the aftermath of the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, calls for a cessation of hostilities as well as respect for the Blue Line of separation between Israeli and Lebanese armed forces.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, called the cease-fire "long overdue".

He said it was "now also far beyond time for the fighting in Gaza to cease too" and that the cease-fire in Lebanon "must not lead to any further escalation there or elsewhere".

Abdul Wahed Jalal Nori, an analyst and lecturer at the Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia, said the ceasefire for Israel is "tactical, driven by immediate military or political considerations" rather than long-term peace aspirations.

"Militarily, for Israel, it is a strategic advantage, allowing it to concentrate military efforts exclusively on Gaza without fearing a northern front escalation. Let's not hope for this," said Abdul Wahed.

In the worst-case scenario, he said it would mark "a profound failure of the international community to prevent mass suffering and could lead to long-term instability, radicalization, and further erosion of trust in global governance structures".

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas said that after the cease-fire had been reached, it was committed to cooperating with any effort to secure a similar truce in Gaza.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.

jan@chinadailyapac.com