A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has come into effect after 14 months of cross-border fighting that has left thousands dead.
It came into effect at 4am (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday. Under the agreement, Israel will “gradually withdraw” its troops from southern Lebanon over the next 60 days, and Lebanese troops will join UN peacekeeping forces in the region.
The agreement was greeted with relief in Lebanon, where thousands of people have set out to return to the south, ignoring warnings from Israeli forces to stay away from areas they had previously evacuated.
Below are some of the main reactions.
Lebanon
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for unity, calling it “the cruelest phase in Lebanon’s history.”
In a televised address, he stressed the Lebanese Army’s jurisdiction to ensure security in southern Lebanon and said Israel must continue to abide by the agreement and withdraw from the south.
He earlier told US President Joe Biden that the ceasefire was a “fundamental step” towards restoring stability in the region.
Mikati thanked France and the United States for their involvement and said he looked forward to a “new chapter” after the ceasefire.
National Assembly Speaker Navi Berri called on all displaced Lebanese, including those living abroad, to return home.
“Return to your land. Your land will be stronger with your presence… You must protect the land that has seen the blood of all the martyrs,” he said in a televised address.
“Return to your land and restore life to all the areas that Israeli occupation and invasion have tried to destroy. Your country’s victory depends on your return.”
Berri also said the country needed to elect a president as soon as possible, calling it “a test to protect Lebanon from all threats, including the Israeli threat.”
The country has been without a president since Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022.
hezbollah
Lebanese militants said they had won a “victory” against Israel and vowed to continue their resistance and stand side by side with Palestinian fighters.
This was the first statement from Hezbollah’s operational center since the agreement was announced.
Hezbollah did not participate in direct ceasefire talks. Mr. Berry mediated on behalf of the group.
Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Biden for his “commitment to securing the ceasefire agreement” and also appreciated the U.S. president’s “understanding that Israel will maintain freedom of action in implementing the ceasefire agreement.” said.
Before Israel ratified the deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon,” which would allow Israel to “intensify” pressure on the Palestinian organization Hamas and “threat from Iran.” He said it will be possible to focus.
people of lebanon
Thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war have begun their journey back to the south of the country, celebrating the end of the fighting.
“Words cannot describe how we feel,” one driver said. “The people won!”
Residents returning to Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, hailed Hezbollah’s “victory” as they returned to their homes.
Some went straight to the spot where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed.
“We were looking for a place where we lost our souls,” one resident named Diala told AFP news agency, referring to the site of Israel’s deadly attack on Nasrallah. “I headed straight for it and didn’t see anything else.”
people of gaza
Palestinians expressed hope for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but some feared that Israel would redouble its attacks on the enclave now that Israeli forces are freed from fighting Hezbollah.
“The situation will get even worse as the pressure on Gaza increases,” said Mamdouh Yonis, a man who fled the southern city of Rafah and is now living in Khan Younis.
Ahram Abu Sharabi, a woman who fled Gaza City, said: Please have mercy on the children, the elderly, and the women. We are sitting in a tent and it is winter now. ”
China
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the ceasefire. “We support all efforts to ease tensions and achieve peace, and welcome the ceasefire agreement reached by the relevant countries,” ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
cyprus
President Nicos Christodoulides said he would assist Lebanon in “developing national institutions, including the Lebanese army” and said the “mediating role” of the United States and France would be “invaluable.”
egypt
The Foreign Ministry welcomed the agreement as “a step that can contribute to the start of a phase of de-escalation in the region” and said it “should be a prelude to ending Israeli aggression in Gaza.”
european union
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the “very encouraging news” of the ceasefire, saying it would increase Lebanon’s “internal security and stability”.
The announcement was welcome news “first and foremost for the Lebanese and Israeli people affected by the fighting,” von der Leyen said.
He said Lebanon “has an opportunity to increase its internal security and stability thanks to Hezbollah’s reduced influence.”
France
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault emphasized France’s role in brokering the ceasefire, saying the deal would not have been possible without France’s special relationship with the former protectorate.
“It is true that the United States has a privileged relationship with Israel, but it is France that has a very old relationship, a very close relationship with Lebanon,” Barot said hours after the ceasefire took effect. Ta.
“It would have been impossible to envisage a ceasefire in Lebanon without France’s involvement at the forefront,” he added. “This is a success of French diplomacy and we can be proud of it.”
Germany
Foreign Minister Annalena Barbok said the agreement was a “beacon of hope for the entire region”.
“People on both sides of the border want to live in real and lasting security,” he said, adding that the agreement was a “diplomatic success.”
Hamas
In a statement, the Palestinian armed groups expressed their “determination to cooperate with all efforts towards a ceasefire in Gaza.”
The report said the agreement includes ending the war, withdrawing Israeli troops from Gaza, returning displaced Palestinians to their homes, and relieving prisoners of war held in the enclave and Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli prisons. He said it was necessary to reach an agreement to exchange.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zufri says the group “values” Hezbollah’s right to strike a deal that protects its people and is ready to reach a ceasefire with Israel to stop fighting in Gaza. he added.
In an interview with Reuters, Abu al-Zufri blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, who has repeatedly accused Hamas of sabotaging efforts.
“Hamas has shown great flexibility towards an agreement and remains firm in its position and is interested in reaching an agreement to end the war in Gaza.”
Iran
The Foreign Ministry welcomed the news that Israel’s “aggression against Lebanon” has ended.
Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai reaffirmed Iran’s “firm support for the Lebanese government, state and resistance.”
He said Iran still called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to bring the “criminals of the occupation regime” to justice, referring to Israel.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohamed Deif.
Italy
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement that Italy welcomed the ceasefire and that the government had been working towards it for many years.
Iraq
The government said the international community needed to act urgently to end Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Foreign Ministry statement called for “increased international efforts to avoid a new escalation” along the Israel-Lebanon border, and called for “serious efforts to stop the continuing massacres and violations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” He also called for urgent measures.
Jordan
The Foreign Office called this an “important step” but said “Israeli aggression against Gaza” must be stopped.
Palestinian Authority
“We hope that this measure will contribute to ending the violence and instability that the region is suffering from,” the Palestinian President’s Office said in a statement. He stressed the need to enforce the UN resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“We call on the international community to pressure Israel to end its criminal war in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and to cease all escalating measures against the Palestinian people,” said Hussein, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee. Al Sheikh said. Posted by Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), X.
qatar
The Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire and expressed the hope that it would lead to a similar agreement to halt the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and Israeli attacks on the occupied West Bank. .
Russia
The Foreign Ministry said it was looking positively at any agreement that would end the violence in Lebanon.
Russia said it wants a solution that ensures equal security for all involved.
Tolkier
The government, which has been an outspoken critic of Israeli leaders since the Gaza war broke out last year, expressed hope that the ceasefire would “become permanent.”
The foreign ministry said the international community should put pressure on Israel to “strictly abide by the ceasefire and make reparations for the damage it has caused to Lebanon.”
He also urged the establishment of a “permanent and comprehensive” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to “end its aggressive policies.”
He said he was ready to provide Lebanon with “the necessary support to establish internal peace.”
England
Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the “long overdue” ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that “brings some relief to civilians”.
Mr Starmer called for the deal to “transform into a durable political solution in Lebanon” and put it “at the forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence for long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East”. I will stand,” he promised.
united nations
Secretary-General António Guterres said the ceasefire was the “first ray of hope” in a regional conflict that has raged for months.
“It is essential that those who signed the ceasefire agreement fully respect it,” he said.
“Yesterday I received a good omen, the first ray of hope for peace after the darkness of the past few months,” he said of the agreement.
“This is a critical moment, especially for civilians who are paying a huge price in this escalating conflict.”
US
Announcing the deal Tuesday night, President Joe Biden said the deal was “intended for a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
“Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin rebuilding their homes, schools, farms, businesses, and their very lives,” Biden said.
The outgoing president described the agreement as “good news” and said the United States would lead a renewed effort to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
In a joint statement with France, the United States said it would work to “ensure the full implementation of this agreement” and lead international efforts to “capacity-build” the Lebanese military.
Biden posted on X on Wednesday: “In the coming days, the United States, along with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others, will redouble its efforts to achieve the release of hostages, a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to the war without Hamas.” ”
Yemen’s Houthis
Abdul Salam Salah, the group’s spokesperson, praised the “indomitable spirit of Hezbollah and the dear Lebanese people in the face of brutal Israeli aggression.”
He added: “Israel’s enemy would not have agreed to a ceasefire if it had not come into conflict with a staunch resistance that remained unyielding in the face of treacherous assassination crimes.”
