By Blessing Chinagorom
The Canadian Government has welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, effective 4:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau in a statement released on Tuesday said this is a much-needed step toward stability, security in the region, while thanked the United States of America and France for their efforts in achieving this agreement.
According to him, “The cessation of hostilities will help create the conditions to further de-escalate tensions, stabilize the Israel-Lebanon border, fully restore the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability of Lebanon.
“Also secure Israel from the threat of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating from Lebanon, return displaced citizens to their homes with safety and security on both sides of the Blue Line. We encourage all parties to fully implement the agreement”, the PM added.
He said Canada will always defend Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. “Iran’s seriously destabilizing actions throughout the Middle East via terrorist proxies and armed groups must stop. Canada expects that international law will be upheld and respected”.The Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada’s call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for Hamas to lay down its arms, unconditional release of all hostages, including remains of Judih Weinstein, a significant, sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance, and an end to the conflict.
“We urge all actors to protect civilian populations. We remain committed to working toward an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side within internationally recognized borders in peace, security, and dignity.
“We also express our deep condolences to the families of the civilian victims in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon. Today’s agreement must help us collectively move toward lasting peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese, and others across the region”, Canadian leader said.It was reported that Israel and Lebanon have reached a ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States and France, designed to end over a year of intense conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, report has it that as world leaders laud the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, not much has changed yet in Lebanon.
Many Lebanese are spending the night outside of their homes, having rightly anticipated an intense barrage of Israeli strikes just before the ceasefire at 4 am local time.The Israeli army says it launched at least 180 strikes against targets throughout Lebanon just on Tuesday, November 26–the day the ceasefire was announced.
These strikes have extended to the Syria-Lebanon border, where the Syrian Red Crescent reported fatalities hours after US President Joe Biden made an announcement commending the ceasefire.
Over 3700 Lebanese individuals have been killed since Israel began retaliating against Hezbollah in October 2023, leading to a complete invasion in October of 2024 with nearly 16000 injured and over a million displaced.
