DAVOS, Switzerland — Lebanon will be able to swiftly rebuild and recover from its recent war with Israel after a ceasefire was agreed to in November, but the fate of Syria remains “a question mark,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.

The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was agreed upon on Nov. 27, ending over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli military and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which began in October 2023 when the Iran-backed group attacked Israel one day after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and the war in Gaza started. 

Discussing Lebanon’s fate at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Guterres said, “In Lebanon, I believe the ceasefire is holding, and I hope that we will witness a Lebanon that will finally be able to have an effective government. And we know the Lebanese: If the war ends at noon, at 1 o'clock they start rebuilding. So the Lebanese people have an enormous potential, and I’m optimistic about Lebanon.”

He warned that there is no guarantee this ceasefire will hold or lead to a final peace agreement, but he expressed optimism as the country finally elected a president on Jan. 9 after two years of political impasse.