New Delhi: India on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and said it has always called for de-escalation, restraint and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. "We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been announced. We have always called for de-escalation, restraint and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. We hope these developments will lead to peace and stability in the wider region," the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement
A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the U.S. and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region wracked by two wars for over a year. Lebanon's army, which is tasked with helping to ensure the ceasefire holds, said it was preparing to deploy to the south of the country. The military asked that residents of border villages delay returning home until the Israeli military, which has waged war against Iran-backed Hezbollah on several occasions and pushed around 6 km into Lebanon, withdraws.
Israel said it identified Hezbollah operatives
While the ceasefire largely held on Wednesday morning, Israel said it identified Hezbollah operatives returning to areas near the border and had opened fire to prevent them from coming closer.
The agreement, which promises to end a conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war last year, is a major achievement for the US in the waning days of President Joe Biden's administration.
The deal is likely to enable Israel to focus more closely on the conflict in shattered Gaza, where it has vowed to destroy its long-time enemy the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which led the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israeli communities. "Force must give way to dialogue and negotiation. This has now been achieved in Lebanon, and it must happen as soon as possible in the Gaza Strip," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Info radio.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the group "appreciates" Lebanon's right to reach an agreement which protects its people, and hopes for a deal to end the Gaza war.
It is worth mentioning India has always advocated for dialogue and diplomacy in order to end the war. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Lebanese counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro where he supported the path of diplomacy.
(With inputs from agency)
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