Lebanon deal should prompt all parties to pursue immediate ceasefire in Gaza

One day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israeli Security Cabinet had approved a two-month deal to end the fighting in Lebanon, a ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday, marking a significant step forward for efforts to end the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and fueling hopes that a deal can be reached to end the conflict in Gaza.

According to reports, although Hezbollah is not an official signatory given its designation as a terrorist organization by the United States, the group has agreed to move its fighters north of the Litani River — approximately 40 kilometers from the de facto Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli forces meanwhile are to gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon. A five-country monitoring panel, led by the United States, is to oversee the implementation of the agreement, with 5,000 Lebanese troops deployed to ensure compliance.

China, which has been closely following the situation in Lebanon, has welcomed the deal and has called on all parties to do their utmost to honor it.