The deaths and displacement of innocent civilians – whether in Israel, Palestine or Lebanon – are heartbreaking, and an agreement is urgently needed to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. We join the UK government, and Israel’s other allies, in calling for restraint and de-escalation.
The decision of Hezbollah, armed and financed by Iran, to attack Israel after 7 October has created an untenable situation, forcing more than 60,000 civilians from their homes in northern Israel for nearly a year.
Israel has the legitimate aim of ensuring that its civilians can safely return to their homes. The quickest route to a ceasefire is for Hezbollah to stop its rocket attacks and withdraw its forces from the border region, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Any ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah will be ineffective, and risks making further conflict inevitable, without certain crucial conditions:
- A firm international consensus that Hezbollah must stop firing at Israel and credible international assurances of Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the border area, as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, enabling both Israeli and Lebanese civilians to safely return home alongside credible action to address the failure of UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces to prevent Hezbollah’s future military build-up;
- An equally clear commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, alongside Israel’s obligation to do so in line with international humanitarian law;
- Real accountability towards the Iranian regime for its role in fermenting this conflict by illegally arming Hezbollah and Hamas for decades, as part of its regional destabilisation activity designed undermine any hope for peace and a two-state solution.
