NEW YORK – Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday the American bishops said they receive the news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah with “profound hope,” and urge all parties in the Middle East to continue efforts towards broader peace.
“It is in a spirit of profound hope that I welcome news that, after more than a year of fighting and thousands of deaths, a ceasefire has been agreed upon by Israel and Hezbollah, beginning today, Wednesday, November 27,” Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, and Chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Committee on International Justice and Peace said in a statement.
“As we rejoice in this opportunity for peace to take root, I urge all parties, as well as the broader international community, to remain vigilant and to continue working toward the consolidation of peace in the region through the disarmament of Hezbollah and the full implementation of the UN resolutions concerning Lebanon; this will lead to Lebanon regaining its full sovereignty and independence,” he said.
Zaidan also applauded the United States for its “crucial peacebuilding role” that helped make the ceasefire possible.
The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. on Nov. 27 following 14 months of fighting. The ceasefire begins with an initial two-month halt to fighting. It requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, and Israeli troops to return to their side of the border.
Beyond the American Bishops, the news was also welcomed by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), which is the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Now, the organization said it prays the ceasefire holds.
“We welcome the ceasefire announcement between Hezbollah & Israel. We pray that it holds,” Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD’s country representative for the Middle East said in a statement. “This means that over a million people, who have been displaced by the conflict, can begin to return to their homes in Lebanon and northern Israel and start the long task of rebuilding their lives.”
Funnell also noted that now it’s “imperative” that similar diplomatic efforts are put into a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to stop the suffering in Gaza.
Zaidan had a similar sentiment.
“I pray that this ceasefire proves to be a beacon of real hope, and that it inspires greater ambitions for a lasting peace in the Middle East on all fronts, especially in the dire situation in Gaza,” Zaidan said. “I join in solidarity with Pope Francis, who, in October, called for a ceasefire, saying: ‘Let us pursue the paths of diplomacy and dialogue to achieve peace.’”
