South Africa has expressed its support for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which took effect early Wednesday. The government in Pretoria welcomed the deal as a crucial step towards de-escalating tensions in the region and mitigating human suffering caused by indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
In a statement released late Wednesday, South Africa’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its solidarity with Lebanon and called for full adherence to the ceasefire by all parties.
The statement stressed the importance of diplomacy in resolving conflicts and expressed hope that the ceasefire would be the first step toward a permanent cessation of hostilities along the Israeli-Lebanese border, where thousands of Lebanese, including many women and children, have been killed.
South Africa also reiterated its call for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged the international community to respect UN resolutions and international humanitarian law.
The ceasefire came shortly after US President Joe Biden announced that an agreement had been reached to end the conflict, which has seen over 3,800 people killed and more than 1 million displaced in Lebanon since October.
