For many across the Middle East, the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire came as a relief: the first major sign of progress in the region since war began more than a year ago.

In the face of the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian and Lebanese people amid Israel's wars in Gaza and the West Bank, and as a 60-day truce between Israel and Lebanon took effect in the early hours of the day,

Turkey welcomes the ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and the Hezbollah militia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in the capital Ankara on Wednesday. Erdoğan separately called for an end to the fighting in the Gaza Strip.