Hamas saif they are following the progress of the agreement in Lebanon, “to express our commitment to cooperate with any efforts to stop the fire in Gaza.”…reports Asian Lite News
Hamas said that it is ready to cooperate with any ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip, following a ceasefire deal struck between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“We are following the progress of the agreement in Lebanon, to express our commitment to cooperate with any efforts to stop the fire in Gaza,” Xinhua news reported quoting a press statement.
The statement added that the movement is concerned with stopping “the aggression against our people within the parameters we have agreed upon nationally, which are the ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the return of the displaced, and the achievement of a real and complete prisoner exchange deal.”
In the statement, Hamas called on Arab and Islamic countries and “the forces of the free world” to take serious action and pressure the US and Israel to stop “their brutal aggression against our Palestinian people.”
Israel’s security cabinet approved on Tuesday night a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah taking effect on Wednesday morning.
UAE welcomes Lebanon ceasefire
The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the announcement and implementation of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, and expressed hope that this agreement will lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) commended the efforts of the United States in reaching this agreement, highlighting it as a significant step to prevent further suffering of the brotherly Lebanese people.
Furthermore, the Ministry affirmed the UAE’s steadfast position and unwavering support to Lebanon, its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the restoration of its position at the Arab, regional and international level.
The Ministry further expressed hope that the agreement would lead to the full implementation of Resolution 1701, to restore peace and security for civilians, de-escalate tensions, and initiate diplomatic dialogue to restore security, and safety to achieve the interests of the region’s peoples and fulfil their aspirations of stability, prosperity, and peace.
Calm prevails in South Lebanon
Calm prevails over the border areas in southern Lebanon on Wednesday as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at 4:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT), according to Lebanese security sources.
The sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua that the Israeli army on Wednesday attacked towns and villages in the western Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and the border town of Khiam in southern Lebanon, and then stopped its airstrikes about 10 minutes before the ceasefire went into effect.
The main roads in various Lebanese regions, now open, are witnessing heavy traffic after a large number of the displaced quickly returned to their towns in southern and eastern Lebanon to check on their homes and properties.
The sources told Xinhua news agency that roads in frontline villages and towns adjacent to the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel are still closed.
“Many roads leading to the border areas are still cut off as a result of holes caused by Israeli airstrikes and the Israeli army firing large quantities of cluster bombs while Israeli forces are still inside them,” they added.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army said in a statement that it is “working to take the necessary measures to complete the deployment in the south according to the Lebanese government’s mandate and to carry out its missions in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) within the framework of Resolution 1701.”
It called on citizens of the frontline villages and towns to “wait for their return” following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and adhere to “the instructions of the military units deployed in the area to preserve their safety.”
It also called on those returning to other areas to “be careful of unexploded ordnance and suspicious objects left behind” by the Israeli army.
Israel’s security cabinet on Tuesday night approved a ceasefire deal with Lebanon, paving the way for an end to a nearly 14-month conflict which, according to Lebanese health authorities, has killed 3,823 people and wounded 15,859 others in Lebanon as of Tuesday.
The ceasefire ensures that the Lebanese army will take control of the territory near its border with Israel over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its troops from the region, and civilians will return home.
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