Cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah welcomed
China DailyPeople watch television in Beirut as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces a cease-fire on Tuesday. In a joint statement by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, they said Israel and Lebanon "have accepted a cessation of hostilities" and "will create the conditions to restore lasting calm". European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the agreement for a cease-fire in Lebanon is a relief amid the devastating situation in the Middle East, adding it "is now crucial that the cease-fire holds" to guarantee the safety of both Lebanese and Israeli citizens. In a statement, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said: "The secretary-general urges the parties to fully respect and swiftly implement all of their commitments made under this agreement … to undertake immediate steps toward the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701." He said it was "now also far beyond time for the fighting in Gaza to cease too" and that the cease-fire in Lebanon "must not lead to any further escalation there or elsewhere".