A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group came into force early Wednesday, as displaced Lebanese civilians began making their way back to the war-torn southern region after months of cross-border fighting.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States and France, took effect at 4:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT). Reuters witnesses reported dozens of vehicles departing the port city of Saida before dawn, heading toward southern Lebanon, though the Lebanese army has urged residents to delay their return until Israeli forces complete their withdrawal.
Under the 13-point agreement, Hezbollah will withdraw its fighters and military infrastructure from the area between the Blue Line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel – and the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometres to the north. The Lebanese army will deploy 5,000 troops to the region, becoming the sole armed presence in southern Lebanon.
“This agreement is designed to be a permanent ceasefire,” U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters, adding that both sides would implement the changes over a 60-day period. The deal largely mirrors UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained that Israel would retain “full freedom of military action” if Hezbollah violates the agreement. “If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The agreement establishes a monitoring mechanism involving the United States and France alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force (UNIFIL), Lebanon, and Israel. However, a senior U.S. official clarified that no American combat troops would be deployed to the area.
Questions remain about the Lebanese army’s capacity to enforce the agreement, with officials citing resource constraints. Western diplomats, however, view this as an opportunity for the Lebanese government to reassert control over its territory, noting that Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by the conflict.
Iran, Hezbollah’s primary backer, welcomed the ceasefire in a statement released Wednesday.
The agreement was approved by Israel’s war cabinet on Tuesday by a vote of 10 to 1, marking a potential end to the violence that erupted in late September.
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