Cease-fire deal between Israel and Hezbollah takes effect

By Burak Dag

JERUSALEM (AA) - A cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah brokered with US and French diplomatic efforts came into effect Wednesday at 4 a.m. local time (0200GMT).

Under the agreement, the Lebanese Armed Forces will deploy to southern Lebanon within 60 days, during which time Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces. The deal also requires Hezbollah to move its forces north of the Litani River.

US President Joe Biden maintained that while there will be no American troops on the ground in southern Lebanon, "we, along with France and others, will provide the necessary assistance to make sure this deal is implemented fully and effectively."

“Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses and their very lives," Biden said.

According to reports, 5,000 to 10,000 Lebanese soldiers will be deployed to the area between the Israel-Lebanon border and the Litani River. The deployment aims to prevent rearmament by armed groups in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

At least 55 people were killed Monday in Israeli attacks on Lebanon, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to 3,823, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Tuesday.

A total of 160 others were wounded over the past 24 hours, raising the number of injuries to 15,859.

In recent hours, Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut and its southern suburbs, as well as the southern and eastern provinces of the country, have intensified, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

Hezbollah began a series of ballistic missile, rocket and drone attacks on Israel shortly after the Palestinian group Hamas launched its Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack on Israel. The Lebanese group says its attacks are meant to demonstrate solidarity with Hamas and the people of Gaza and pressure Israel for a cease-fire in the besieged coastal enclave.

Israel retaliated with massive airstrikes across the small Mediterranean country against what it said are Hezbollah targets. In October, it expanded its offensive to include a ground invasion of Lebanon.