Diyar Guldogan
19 June 2026•Update: 19 June 2026
The UN on Friday welcomed reports of a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group, calling on the sides to halt hostilities and pursue dialogue to ensure long-term stability along the Israel-Lebanon border.
"Turning to Lebanon, I can tell you that we are, of course, aware of the reports indicating that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, and we welcome such developments," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told the reporters.
Dujarric said that the UN continues to urge all sides to respect existing ceasefire arrangements and work toward a lasting solution.
"We continue to call on the parties to cease hostilities, respect existing ceasefire arrangements, and pursue dialogue as the only viable path to a long-term security and stability on both sides of the Blue Line," he added.
Earlier, a US official confirmed to Anadolu that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire that will take effect at 4 pm local time (1300GMT) Friday.
‘The people of Lebanon need peace’
At least 47 people were killed and 97 others injured in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon since midnight Friday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Four Israeli soldiers were also killed in a Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon.
Asked about civilian deaths in Lebanon, Dujarric said the UN continues to “condemn and to be horrified by the killings of civilians in Lebanon.”
He also expressed hope that the reported ceasefire would take hold.
“We hope that will come into place. The people of Lebanon need peace. They need to rebuild their lives. The government of Lebanon needs to reassert its authority over its full territory, and the people of northern Israel need to be able to go home in safety as well,” he said.
On Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding aimed at ending the war involving the US, Israel and Iran and halting Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
