India on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, hoping that the development would finally result in peace and stability in the wider region which had been engulfed in tension due to the long conflict.
We welcome the announced Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. We have always advocated de-escalation, restraint, and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. We hope this development would lead to peace and stability in the wider region," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Announcing the truce deal late Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the length of the ceasefire depended on what happens in Lebanon.
"We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. We will continue united until victory," Netanyahu said.
Over the last one year, he had time and again expressed concern over the expanding scope of West Asia conflict and reiterated India's call for de-escalation of the situation.
The meeting earlier this week also involved EAM S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Rome Mediterranean Dialogue organized by the Institute for International Political Studies in cooperation with Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation with Lebanon Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
Speaking to the gathering, EAM Jaishankar confessed that the war going on presently in the Middle East has undoubtedly been a major challenge and India has for long been concerned at the prospect of it spreading to other parts of the region.
"The situation in the Middle East is obviously deeply concerning, both for what has happened and what may still come. India unequivocally condemns terrorism and hostage taking. It also regards large scale civilian casualties in military operations to be unacceptable. International humanitarian law cannot be disregarded. In immediate terms, we should all support a ceasefire," said EAM Jaishankar.
"Our concerns have also been increasing on the widening of the conflict. We have been in regular touch with both Israel and Iran at the highest levels to advocate restraint and enhance communication. Where Lebanon is concerned, there is an Indian contingent like Italy, that is part of UNIFIL," he added.
Last month, after the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFL) disclosed that its Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been targeted repeatedly since clashes erupted between Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and Hezbollah elements in south Lebanon, India said that it remains "concerned at the deteriorating security situation" along the Blue Line that stretches for 120 km along Lebanon's southern frontier and remains a key to peace in the region.
This is what the MEA said: "We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate."
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