Indonesia hopes Israel-Lebanon ceasefire will end war permanently

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia welcomes the achievement of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel and hopes that this ceasefire can develop into a permanent peace agreement.

As conveyed by the spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu), Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela, Indonesia continues to closely follow the developments in negotiations between the two parties.

“Indonesia hopes that these negotiations can result in a permanent ceasefire,” Nabyl told ANTARA in Jakarta on Saturday.

He stated that Indonesia hopes for concrete and immediate steps to prevent further casualties and the worsening of the humanitarian situation in Lebanon.

Indonesia also urges all parties to always uphold international law, including international humanitarian law, and the protection of civilians, he added.

“Indonesia asserts that all parties must exercise maximum restraint and respect the sovereignty of states,” Nabyl said.

US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting from Thursday (16/4) at 21.00 GMT or Friday (17/4) at 02.00 WIB.

The ceasefire agreement was reached after delegations from Lebanon and Israel, with US mediation, held talks in Washington DC on Tuesday (14/4).

In response to these developments, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes all efforts to achieve peace, but he also urges Hezbollah to comply with the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s deputy in the Lebanese parliament, Hassan Fadlallah, stated that the 10-day ceasefire with Israel is merely an initial step towards the full liberation of Lebanon and the main goals of the Hezbollah movement.

Hezbollah supports the ceasefire, but it will continue to demand a complete halt to hostilities, total Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the return of residents to their homes, the release of prisoners, and reconstruction efforts, he said.