UPDATE – Arab countries welcome cease-fire deal between Israel, Lebanon

UPDATES WITH MORE REACTIONS, CHANGES HEADLINE

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) – Arab countries welcomed a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon that took effect early Wednesday, ending over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah group.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the cease-fire would pave the way for de-escalation in the region through the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and the deployment of the Lebanese army to southern Lebanon.

Resolution 1701, adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, calls for a complete halt to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with exceptions for the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL).

Egypt said the deal should be "a prelude to stopping the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip" in addition to "the necessity of reaching an immediate cease-fire, unhindered access to humanitarian aid to the enclave and halting the unjustified violations in the West Bank."

Jordan hailed the cease-fire as "an important step toward halting Israel's aggression on the Gaza Strip and its assaults in the occupied West Bank."

It called the deal “a first step towards reducing the escalation that threatens international peace and security, and maintaining the delivery of sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza.”

The Palestinian Authority voiced hope that the cease-fire agreement would contribute “to ending violence and instability in the region as a result of Israeli policies that are leading the region to explosion.”

The cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon took effect hours after US President Joe Biden said a proposal to end the conflict had been reached, amid hopes it would stop Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese towns and cities and end the year-long cross-border fighting.

Over 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar