An Israeli-Hezbollah truce went into force in Lebanon, potentially ending the full-scale war that has killed thousands of people over the past year and a half of cross-border strikes.
Israel and Lebanon’s acceptance of a US-backed proposal has resolved the 13-month border conflict that escalated into an all-out war with Hezbollah in September.
The agreement, which took effect at 4 a.m. local time (9 p.m. ET on Tuesday) on Wednesday morning, aims to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities, according to US President Joe Biden.
In what the parties have characterized as the first step toward a permanent ceasefire, the agreement calls for a 60-day cessation of hostilities. During that period, Israeli ground forces are expected to pull out of Lebanese territory, and Hezbollah fighters are anticipated to withdraw 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the Israel border.
The Israeli military conducted one of the most intense bombardments since the beginning of the war by bombing Beirut’s southern suburbs 20 times in two minutes in the hours preceding the agreement. Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of at least 25 people, with at least 10 of them occurring in central Beirut.
