India on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and expressed hope that it will lead to peace and stability in the wider region.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said: “We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been announced. We have always called for de-escalation, restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. We hope these developments will lead to peace and stability in the wider region.”

Earlier today, in a significant development in West Asia, Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon. The ceasefire agreement came into effect early morning on November 27.

In his speech after the agreement, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon. We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. We will continue united until victory.”

“We will complete the task of obliterating Hamas, we will bring home all of our hostages, we will ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel and we will return the residents of the north back home safely. The war will not end until we realize all its goals, including the return of the residents of the north safely home. And I tell you, it will happen, just like it happened in the south,” Netanyahu added.

According to reports, long-displaced residents of south Lebanon have begun to return to their homes amid celebrations hours after the ceasefire.

Following the directive of the political echelon, the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon took effect at 04:00 today, and the IDF has been operating accordingly, said the Israel Defense Force (IDF) in a post on X.

It said that the IDF troops have been stationed at their positions in southern Lebanon. Over the past hour, the IDF identified a vehicle with several suspects in a zone prohibited for movement in Lebanese territory, the Israeli Army said, adding the troops fired to prevent them from advancing, and the suspects left the area.

The IAF remains ready to act across Lebanese territory and the IDF Aerial Defense Array is also in a high state of defensive readiness, it warned.

According to Israeli Army, there are currently no changes to the Home Front Command guidelines. “The IDF will operate against anyone who attempts to breach the ceasefire agreement and will continue to protect the citizens of Israel,” it emphasised.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 2023, following an incursion by Hamas militants across the border during a concert, which resulted in the taking of hostages. The war in West Asia has unfortunately led to large-scale destruction and a tragic loss of life in the region, impacting tens of thousands of individuals.

Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that he will accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision on the Mahayuti alliance’s CM’s choice.

Addressing the media in Mumbai, the former Chief Minister called PM Modi the head of the family, and said that the BJP leadership must not consider him an obstacle in government formation.

He said that he conveyed to the Prime Minister that if there is any problem in forming the government in Maharashtra because of him, then they should not bring any doubt in their mind and whatever decision PM Modi takes, that decision is acceptable to him. 

The Shiv Sena leader also said that his party will support whatever decision the BJP leadership takes regarding the coveted post. He said he told PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday that their decision would be binding on him and Shiv Sena.

Eknath Shinde further expressed that he had worked as a common man and never considered himself as the chief minister. He mentioned that he had always decided that when he is in a position of power, he will give it back to the public because he came from a poor family, and could understand the pain and hardships of the people of the state.

He mentioned that as a Chief Minister, he tried to take forward the ideals of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and PM Modi. He expressed that he is very satisfied with all the work they have done in the last 2.5 years, and not the kind who gets upset. He added that they are the kind of people who fight, fight for the people.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule thanked Eknath Shinde for his stand on the CM post. The BJP Chief said that Shinde has always respected and obeyed the central leadership, and followed every instruction by the central leadership of the BJP. He concluded that Eknath Shinde has acted as a true Mahayuti leader. 

In the Maharashtra assembly election, the Mahayuti coalition won 230 out of 288 seats. The BJP secured the highest 132 seats, making Devendra Fadnavis the favourite for the CM’s post.

Eknath Shinde became the chief minister of Maharashtra in 2022, after engineering a vertical split in Shiv Sena and joining hands with the BJP. He resigned on Tuesday.

The ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Kolkata has sought Centre’s intervention on the ongoing attacks on their monks and other members of the Hindu Vaishnavite community in Bangladesh.

The arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote marks the latest incident in a series of attacks and threats by Islamists against ISKCON and other Hindu religious groups over the past three months, said ISKCON spokesperson Radharaman Das.

Speaking to the media, the ISKCON spokesperson said that the arrest and mounting threats by Islamists against ISKCON and other Hindu religious orders like Ramakrishna Mission had been going on for the past three months and Das’s arrest was the last instance as of now. He mentioned that the situation is alarming and have urged the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union Home Ministry to take appropriate steps to save and protect the lives and properties of people under such attacks.

Radharam Das also urged the Centre to prevail upon the Bangladesh government so that such incidents stop. He stated that ISKCON also urges the United Nations to take note of the situation and take necessary steps for the immediate release of Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested for advocating the safety of minorities in Bangladesh, underlining that they are as much a part of the nation as members of other communities.

He continued that their monks at several places in Bangladesh had been getting threats of being abducted and getting a lesson of their lives by certain Islamist elements at gatherings in recent times but the authorities there despite being told did not take effective steps to address their concerns.

Notably on Monday, Bangladesh police arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a leader of the Hindu group Sammilita Sanatani Jote at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka while he was en route to Chattogram. Furthermore, a Bangladeshi court denied him bail on Tuesday, sending him to prison on sedition charges.

The Congress on Wednesday also issued a statement mentioning that the Indian National Congress expects the government of India to prevail upon the Bangladesh govt to take necessary steps and ensure security of life and property of minorities in the country.