MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to the end war in Lebanon, saying it hoped the agreement would be “actually effective”.
“We look favourably on any agreement, potential or concluded, that would stop the spiral of violence, stop the bloodshed in Lebanon, but they have to be actually effective,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday in a briefing.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the crisis in the Middle East keeps escalating as a result of Israel’s aggressive militaristic policies supported by the United States.
“The situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate,” Lavrov said as quoted by the official TASS news agency.
“All this directly results from Israel’s aggressive, militarist policies, coupled with Washington’s efforts to monopolize the mediation process while throwing the UN Security Council decisions under the bus, despite the fact that these documents were adopted by consensus.”
“Bringing the situation with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back to normal is the only path to improving the situation across the Middle East, including in Lebanon,” Lavrov said.
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“Creating conditions for achieving a two-state solution would be the next step in terms of moving beyond the violent phase in this crisis,” Lavrov added. “We believe that in our efforts to achieve this goal, we must enable countries within this region to take centre stage instead of those who are trying to impose their terms and conditions from overseas.”
In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut and its southern suburbs, as well as the southern and eastern provinces of the country, had intensified, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.
Lebanon’s army, tasked with helping ensure the ceasefire holds, said in a statement on Wednesday it was preparing to deploy to the south of the country.
The military also asked that residents of border villages delay returning home until the Israeli military withdraws.
“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 franceinfo radio.
Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days as Lebanon’s army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there after a costly conflict, Biden said.
Hezbollah has not formally commented on the ceasefire but senior official Hassan Fadlallah told Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV that while it supported the extension of the Lebanese state’s authority, the group would emerge from the conflict stronger.
“Thousands will join the resistance … Disarming the resistance was an Israeli proposal that fell through,” said Fadlallah, who is also a member of Lebanon’s parliament.
