Thursday, December 05, 2024 | Jumada al-akhirah 3, 1446 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Ceasefire begins in Israel-Hezbollah war

minus
plus

Beirut - A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took effect on Wednesday after more than a year of fighting that has killed thousands of people.


The truce, which began at 4:00 am (0200 GMT), should bring to a halt a war that has forced tens of thousands of people in Israel and hundreds of thousands more in Lebanon to flee their homes.


The Israeli army warned soon after the ceasefire began that residents of south Lebanon should not approach Israel Defense Forces positions and villages its forces had ordered to be evacuated.


"With the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement and based on its provisions, the IDF remains deployed in its positions inside southern Lebanon," army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.


"You are prohibited from heading towards the villages that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated or towards IDF forces in the area." The war has seen swathes of Lebanon pounded by air strikes, and Israeli troops deployed across the border to battle Hezbollah.


US President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire agreement on Tuesday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his ministers had agreed to a halt.


In Lebanon, the war has forced nearly 900,000 people to flee their homes, the UN says. Biden said the ceasefire deal was designed to be a "permanent cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah.


Under the agreement, the Lebanese army would take control of the border area on their side.


World leaders have welcomed a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, which came into force on Wednesday morning (0200 GMT). Here are key reactions from around the world.


Iran welcomed the end of Israel's "aggression" in Lebanon after the ceasefire came into force. "Welcoming the news" of the end of Israel's "aggression against Lebanon", foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement, stressing Iran's "firm support for the Lebanese government, nation, and resistance".


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon