Japan welcomes Israel-Lebanon ceasefire as ‘important step toward’ Mideast peace

Japan on Friday welcomed a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, calling it an “important step toward peace” in the Middle East.

Government spokesman Masanao Ozaki said Tokyo “strongly hopes it will be maintained and lead to further peace and stability in the region,” according to Kyodo News.

A day earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire starting at 2100GMT on Thursday following US-mediated talks in Washington, DC.

However, the Lebanese army said early Friday it had recorded several ceasefire violations by Israel, including sporadic shelling targeting villages in southern Lebanon.

Since March 2, Israel has carried out aerial and ground operations in Lebanon, killing 2,196 people and injuring 7,185 others, according to official figures. The offensive has displaced more than 1 million people.

In Iran, more than 3,300 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced amid the ongoing conflict, according to available data.