Lebanon death toll nears 4,000 in Israeli onslaught since last year

Health Ministry says 16,520 people injured in Israeli attacks since last October

By Wassim Seifeddine

BEIRUT (AA) - Lebanese health authorities said Thursday that nearly 4,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since last year.

A cease-fire deal between Lebanon and Israel came into force on Wednesday, ending over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah group.

The Health Ministry said that 78 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Tuesday, a day before the cease-fire took effect, bringing the overall death toll since last October to 3,961 people.

The ministry added that 266 people were also injured, pushing up the number of injuries to 16,520.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel will withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line de facto border in a phased manner while the Lebanese army deploys its forces in southern Lebanon within a period that does not exceed 60 days.

Implementation of the agreement will be overseen by the US and France, but details on enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul

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