UN secretary-general welcomes Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire, calls for compliance

UNITED NATIONS, April 17. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and calls upon all parties to observe its provisions, his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. "The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and commends the role of the United States in facilitating the ceasefire," he said in a statement. "The Secretary-General hopes that this ceasefire will pave the way for negotiations and the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) towards a long-term solution to the conflict." "He urges all actors to fully respect the ceasefire and to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, at all times," Dujarric added. He expressed hope that the deal will pave the way to a "lasting and comprehensive peace in the region." US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire. According to him, he spoke over the phone with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and "these two leaders have agreed that in order to achieve peace between their countries, they will formally begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 p.m. EST (9 p.m. GMT - TASS)."