UK PM Keir Starmer welcomes ceasefire deal between Israel, Hezbollah

Keir Starmer said that the UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

In a post on X, the UK Prime Minister shared the announcement of the deal.

In his statement, Starmer noted that the ceasefire was "long overdue" and "will provide some measure of relief to the civilian populations of Lebanon and Northern Israel, who have suffered unimaginable consequences during the last few months of devastating conflict and bloodshed".

Starmer in his statement gave a call for the deal to turn into a "lasting political solution in Lebanon, based on Security Council Resolution 1701, that will allow civilians to return permanently to their homes and for communities on both sides of the border to rebuild".

He said that the UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East.

In his statement, he also brought attention towards Gaza and said, "We must see immediate progress towards a ceasefire deal in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the removal of restrictions on desperately needed humanitarian aid".

The statement by Keir Starmer came moments after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden in separate speeches announced that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire deal on Tuesday (local time), after months of skirmishes and thousands of casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, also stressed that the "length" of this ceasefire will depend on "what happens in Lebanon."

"With the United States' full understanding, we maintain full freedom of military action. If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack. If it tries to rebuild terrorist infrastructure near the border, we will attack. If it launches a rocket, if it digs a tunnel, if it brings in a truck carrying rockets, we will attack", Netanyahu noted.

Israel and Lebanon have been engaged in a prolonged conflict that began on October 8 last year, when Hezbollah attacked Israeli-controlled territory in solidarity with Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by CNN.

This incident sparked a series of tit-for-tat border attacks, which eventually escalated into a major military offensive launched by Israel in mid-September.

The conflict has seen a ground invasion by Israel, resulting in the deaths of several Hezbollah leaders, including one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, and thousands of injuries from an attack involving exploding pagers. The situation remains volatile, with ongoing efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.