UPDATED - Germany, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Norway welcome Lebanon cease-fire agreement

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, ADDS NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER'S REMARKS

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Germany, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, and Norway on Wednesday all welcomed the new cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X on the agreement, "It is important that everyone sticks to what has been agreed so that people on both sides of the border can live in safety again.”

“The ceasefire now provides an opportunity for stabilisation of the Israel-Lebanon border and for displaced persons to return to their homes,” said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a statement.

Saying that implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is key to achieving these goals, she added: “Together with its EU and G7 partners, Italy will keep working in this direction, through the presence of our contingent in (UN Lebanon peacekeepers) UNIFIL – who have never left their posts during these months of fighting – and by continuing to play a leading role in international support for the Lebanese armed forces.”

Hailing the agreement “as a positive initial step towards lasting peace in the region,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said on X: “We urge all parties involved to implement this deal for the benefit of all civilians and regional stability.”

Likewise, the Swiss Foreign Ministry welcome the cease-fire, saying on X: "It is time for the suffering of civilians to come to an end.”

"Switzerland calls on all parties to fully implement the agreement based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701," it added.

Also welcoming the agreement, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide mentioned the heavy death toll, human suffering, and destruction Israel has brought to Lebanon.

"I hope this agreement will make it possible for the displaced in both Lebanon and Israel to return to their homes," he said in a statement.

Stressing that the conflicts in the Middle East are interconnected, Eide added: "It is now crucial to initiate meaningful negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, to ensure that the people of Gaza will receive lifesaving humanitarian aid, and to secure the release of the hostages."

The cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon took effect early Wednesday, 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 over a year of cross-border fighting.

Over 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.​​​​​​​