The Israeli military said on Wednesday it shot down a drone that was carrying weapons and crossed from Egypt to Israel, Reuters reports.
Updated
Summary of the day so far
It’s just past 9pm in Beirut, Gaza and Tel Aviv. Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
Thousands of people displaced southern Lebanon have begun returning home after a ceasefire aimed at ending the 14-month-war between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday. Lebanon’s motorways were thronged with packed vehicles carrying families returning south despite warnings from the Israeli military that they should stay away while its forces remained in the area. The Lebanese army asked displaced people to avoid frontline villages and towns near the UN-drawn “blue line” that separates the two countries.
The UN’s secretary general, António Guterres, said the Lebanon ceasefire was the “first ray of hope” in the regional conflict after the “darkness of the past months”. “It is essential that those who signed the ceasefire commitment respect it in full,” Guterres said on Wednesday. He reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The 60 day ceasefire agreement brokered by the US between Israel and Hezbollah came into force at 4am local time and appears to be holding. If it continues to do so, it represents a major milestone in the 14-month-old war in Lebanon. However, in a sign of how volatile the situation remains, Israeli forces opened fire on a number of cars that attempted to enter what it said was a restricted area on Wednesday.
The ceasefire in Lebanon came after Israel launched the heaviest day of raids on Beirut, including a series of strikes in the city’s centre. At least 42 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Beirut and the south of Lebanon before the ceasefire began. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel, triggering air raid sirens.
Doubts over whether the ceasefire would hold were widespread on both sides. Supporters of Hezbollah, which has suffered heavy losses since October 2023, celebrated the group’s survival and waved its yellow and green flag across southern Beirut on Wednesday. Iran, Hezbollah’s ally, welcomed the end of Israel’s “aggression” in Lebanon. In Israel, the ceasefire has met a more mixed reaction where rightwingers and residents of Israel’s north have criticised the agreement. Dozens of people gathered outside the Israeli army’s headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday night to protest against the ceasefire.
The Lebanon ceasefire deal does will not have any direct effect on the fighting in Gaza, where the death toll passed 44,282 on Wednesday. Gaza’s health ministry said an additional 104,880 Palestinians have been injured since October 2023. An Egyptian security delegation is reportedly expected to travel to Israel on Thursday to discuss a Gaza ceasefire deal. The US will renew a push for a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, president Joe Biden said.
At least 12 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed in an Israeli strike on a school in central Gaza City on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. A pregnant woman and two other Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombing in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza and Khan Younis in the south on Wednesday, Wafa reported.
Two journalists were injured when Israeli forces “opened fire” on a group of journalists covering a border town of Khiam in south-east Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency said. A video journalist told AFP that he was shot at while reporting in Khiam and that it was clear that the group were journalists.
Israel has decided to notify the international criminal court (ICC) that it will appeal against arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. Separately, France’s foreign ministry suggested that Netanyahu would not immediately be arrested if he came to French territory because Israel is not a member of the ICC.
The Biden administration is reportedly pushing ahead with a $680m arms sales package to Israel. The package includes thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAMs) and hundreds of small-diameter bombs, Reuters reported.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said it reserves the right to react to Israeli airstrikes last month, but that it is also taking account of other developments in the region.
Tehran welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and hoped it will be permanent, Araqchi told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked whether the ceasefire could lead to an easing of tensions between Israel and Iran, he replied: “It depends on the behaviour of Israel,” adding:
Of course, we reserve the right to react to the recent Israeli aggression, but we do consider all developments in the region.
An Egyptian security delegation is expected to travel to Israel on Thursday to discuss a Gaza ceasefire deal, Reuters is reporting, citing Egyptian security sources.
UN chief says Lebanon ceasefire 'first ray of hope amid darkness' in Middle East conflict
The UN’s secretary general, António Guterres, said a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was the “first ray of hope” in the regional conflict after the “darkness of the past months”.
“It is essential that those who signed the ceasefire commitment respect it in full,” Guterres said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
He said the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon was ready to monitor the ceasefire, and reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
I received an auspicious sign yesterday, the first ray of hope for peace amid the darkness of the past months … It is a moment of great importance, especially for civilians who were paying an enormous price of this spreading conflict.
The family of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British-Egyptian political prisoner, said at the meeting with the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, that they had suggested several avenues to secure his release, after Lammy faced calls to impose economic punishment on Egypt in the Commons on Tuesday.
Lammy insisted the issue was being raised with Egypt but also pointed to the importance of Egypt due to its proximity to Gaza. Abd el-Fattah’s sister, Sanaa Seif, said:
It’s unfair to be using a bigger tragedy as a tool against a family facing such an ordeal.
According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) since Abd el-Fattah was detained in 2019, the UK has licensed at least £237m worth of arms to Egypt. The single largest arms licence came in December 2023, issued for military radars worth nearly £80m.
Asked about the CAAT arms licence figures, the family said they were unaware, but said it underlines the strong UK-Egypt relationship and that a release for Abd el-Fattah can be found.
“Now after this information I feel a bit gaslit by David Lammy,” Sanaa added.
The family also said Alicia Kearns, who has set up an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on arbitrary detention and hostage affairs, had notified the foreign office ahead of Abd el-Fattah’s September release date.
“I believe that it’s possible to get this done and to get this done quickly,” said his mother, Laila, who will return to see her son in jail in Cairo later this week.
We’ve had a lucky break by the fact that my body has been so resilient and my body has not collapsed. I hope everyone will believe that I’m serious about taking this through to the end.
Palestinians call for ceasefire after Israel bombs school in Gaza as death toll passes 44,282
At least 12 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed in an Israeli strike on a school in central Gaza City on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
The Israeli strike on the Al-Tabi’in School in Al-Daraj neighbourhood came as Gaza’s health ministry updated the death toll since October 2023 to 44,282 people and 104,880 injured.
Later on Wednesday, Wafa reported that a pregnant woman and two other Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombing in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza and Khan Younis in the south.
Palestinians searched through rubble after an Israeli airstrike hit a school in Gaza City, as they expressed hope for a ceasefire after news that Israel had agreed to halt hostilities with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
An Israeli airstrike killed at least 13 Palestinians at a school in Gaza City, medics said on Tuesday. Dozens of people were also wounded in the strike on the Al-Hurreya School in the Zeitoun neighbourhood.
Another Israeli strike hit the Tabeen School also in Gaza City, killing at least nine people, according to hospital officials. Both schools were sheltering hundreds of displaced people.
We reported earlier that the Lebanese official news agency said Israeli forces “opened fire” on a group of journalists in Khiam in south-east Lebanon on Tuesday.
Two journalists were injured by the Israeli fire while reporting on the return of residents in the border town, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.
Video journalist Abdelkader Bay told Agence-France-Presse that he was reporting in Khiam with two other visual journalists when shots were fired and he was injured along with his colleague.
“We saw people checking on their homes and, at the same time, we were hearing the sounds of tanks withdrawing,” Bay said.
While we were filming, we realised there were Israeli soldiers in a building and suddenly they shot at us.
He said it was clear that the group were journalists, and that the other wounded journalist was taken to hospital.
The former chief prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, has said she was subjected to “thug-style tactics”, threats and intimidation while in office.
Bensouda, who held the post between 2012 and 2021, said that when she was working on some the court’s most politically sensitive cases she experienced “direct threats to my person and family”.
Bensouda was of intense interest to Israel’s intelligence agencies after she opened a preliminary inquiry in 2015 into allegations of crimes committed by Israel’s armed forces and Palestinian militants.
A Guardian investigation revealed in May how an Israeli spy chief allegedly threatened her in an attempt to prevent an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
According to the investigation, the head of the Israeli intelligence agency the Mossad ran a covert operation against Bensouda as part of a broader campaign of surveillance and espionage by Israel against the ICC.
The British-born mother of an Egyptian political prisoner who has been on hunger strike for 58 days met with the foreign secretary, David Lammy, on Wednesday, urging for the government to secure the release of her son Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a British and Egyptian dual citizen.
The family said they felt heard by the foreign secretary in their Wednesday meeting, but left with no concrete promises or commitments on the case of Abd el-Fattah, who was due to be released in September, but has not been freed.
Abd el-Fattah wrote about the Arab spring and its aftermath, was jailed for five years for “spreading false news”. At a press conference in London on Wednesday, his mother said:
He listened to me, I hope my message got through. I’m on hunger strike, I’m not about to break my hunger strike until Alaa is released.
Abd el-Fattah’s sisters, Sanaa Seif and Mona Seif who also attended the meeting with Lammy, said they felt heard by the foreign minister but wished the meeting had happened sooner.
The family also said Alicia Kearns, who has set up an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on arbitrary detention and hostage affairs, had reached out to the foreign office ahead of their brother’s expected date of release in September, but no action was taken. Sanaa said:
They have wasted a lot of opportunities to release my brother. We didn’t get any promises, we didn’t get any commitments.
“We were hoping to come out of today’s meeting to share with you very tangible steps and timelines which isn’t the case,” said Mona.
US plans $680m arms sale to Israel - reports
The Biden administration is pushing ahead with a $680m arms sales package to Israel, according to multiple reports.
The package, reported by Reuters and the Financial Times, includes thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAM) and hundreds of small-diameter bombs.
Israel has decided to notify the international criminal court (ICC) that it will appeal against arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, Axios is reporting, citing an Israeli official.
Lebanon will reopen its schools on Monday following the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese education minister, Abbas Halabi, has announced.
A statement by Halabi carried by the country’s National News Agency reads:
With many teachers and parents inspecting the damage to their homes or returning to their areas, schools that had previously been designated as shelters are seeing families depart.
He said schools that had been previously used as shelters will resume their educational duties on Monday.
France’s president Emmanuel Macron and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu have a strained relationship, but Paris has been instrumental in efforts to help broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon that came into force early this morning.
Unconfirmed media reports have said Netanyahu angrily raised the issue of the international criminal court (ICC) arrest warrant targeting him in calls with Macron, and that he urged France not to enforce the decision, Agence-France-Presse reported.
The French foreign ministry’s statement was condemned by rights groups.
Amnesty International described France’s position as “deeply problematic”, stating:
Rather than inferring that ICC indictees may enjoy immunity, France should expressly confirm its acceptance of the unequivocal legal duty under the Rome Statute to carry out arrest warrants.
Andrew Stroehlein, European media director at Human Rights Watch, said:
Some shocking nonsense from France here. No one gets immunity from an ICC arrest warrant because they’re in office - not Netanyahu, not Putin, no one.
France suggests it would not arrest Netanyahu under ICC warrant
Here’s more on the statement by the French foreign ministry that suggests Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, would not immediately be arrested if he came to French territory despite an international criminal court (ICC) arrest warrant targeting him.
Despite the prime minister, Michel Barnier, saying earlier this week that France would “rigorously” respect its obligations under international law, the foreign ministry on Wednesday said it would continue to work closely with Netanyahu.
The ministry argued that Netanyahu and others ministers affected benefits from immunity because Israel is not a member of the court. It said:
A state cannot be held to act in a way that is incompatible with its obligations in terms of international law with regards to immunities granted to states which are not party to the ICC.
The ministry said this would be “taken into consideration if the ICC was to ask us for their arrest and handing over.”
The statement also cited the “historic friendship that links France and Israel”, describing them as “two democracies committed to the rule of law and respect for professional and independent justice.”
France intends to continue to work in close collaboration with prime minister Netanyahu and other Israeli authorities to achieve peace and security for all in the Middle East.
Israeli military declares curfew for travel into southern Lebanon
The Israeli military has declared a curfew in southern Lebanon that began a short while ago at 5pm local time (1500 GMT) until 7am (0500 GMT).
In a post on X, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents against moving south of the Litani river during that time.
We inform you that starting from 5pm until tomorrow morning at 7am it is absolutely forbidden to travel south of the Litani river.
Anyone already south of the river must remain where they are during the curfew, he said.
He warned that Israeli forces will deal “firmly” with any movement that “violates” the ceasefire agreement.
Here are some of the latest images from the newswires from Lebanon taken in the hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect.
The day so far
It’s approaching 5pm in Tel Aviv, Beirut and Gaza, here are the latest developments from the Middle East:
A 60-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the US between Israel and Hezbollah came into force at 4am local time and appears to be holding. If it continues to do so, it represents a major milestone in the 14-month-old war in Lebanon, and will see Israel withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah will move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, about 18 miles (25km) north of the border.
US president Joe Biden has posted to social media to say that over the coming days the US will renew a push for a ceasefire in Gaza. He said: “Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power.”
The Israeli military warned displaced Lebanese residents from the country’s south that they could not return immediately as it remained a military area. “We will update you when it is safe to return to your homes,” the army’s spokesperson said in a post on social media. Though the ceasefire terms stipulate the IDF must withdraw completely from southern Lebanon within the 60-day period, it is not expected take place immediately.
However, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, Nabih Berri, has told residents to return to their homes. He said that the war with Israel of the last few weeks had been the “most dangerous phase” in his country’s history, and urged residents to “return to your lands.”
Lebanon’s army said it is reinforcing its presence in south Lebanon. It comes after prime minister Najib Mikati announced a cabinet decision to bolster the force’s deployment following a Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire.
Lebanese army says it is 'reinforcing its presence' in the south
Lebanon’s army says it has begun reinforcing its presence in south Lebanon, AFP reports.
It comes after prime minister Najib Mikati announced a cabinet decision to bolster the force’s deployment following a Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire.
The military said in a statement.
The army has begun reinforcing its presence in the South Litani sector and extending the state’s authority in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
AFP said one of its journalists saw army troops and vehicles in two south Lebanon areas.
Earlier, we mentioned that Joe Biden’s national security adviser said the outgoing president will launch a renewed drive for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, now that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a truce in Lebanon.
Here is his full quote:
President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region.
We believe that this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East in which Israel’s security is assured and US interests are secured.
Lebanon’s National News Agency has reported that Israeli forces in Khiam in south-east Lebanon have “opened fire on a group of journalists while they were covering the return of the residents and the Israeli withdrawal from the town”
It reports they sustained various injuries and have been transferred to Hasbaya hospital.
The claims have not been independently verified.
More details soon …
National security adviser Jake Sullivan has reinforced a message earlier from US president Joe Biden that the country wishes to make a renewed push to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
Speaking on MSNBC in the US, Sullivan said Biden intends to “begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region”.
Updated
Israel’s military has issued a joint statement with the Shin Bet claiming to have foiled a smuggling operation which was transferring weapons from Iran into the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Al Jazeera is carrying some quotes Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has been Iran’s speaker of parliament since 2020. It reports he said:
We welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon. After the oppression and criminal bombings by the Zionist regime, tonight the people are experiencing peace. [Hezbollah] never allowed even an inch of their land to fall into enemy hands.
We hope this peace will also be established in Gaza. However, the claim by the criminal [Benjamin] Netanyahu that his focus is on Iran is nonsense.
When the war in Lebanon began, and they martyred Nasrallah [Hassan Nasrallah was killed by Israel in Beirut in September] and committed the pager massacre, along with so many other crimes, they thought Hezbollah had been weakened. During my trip to Beirut, amidst the smoke, fire, and the immense pressure on the people, I saw courage and patience among them. I saw that Hezbollah was more alive than ever.
France appears to have ruled out acting on the international criminal court (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes relating to the Gaza war.
Reuters reports a foreign ministry statement said that as Israel was not a party to the ICC, this conveyed immunity. 124 countries are party to the court. Notable states that are not party to the court include China, India, Israel, Russia, and the US.
Biden: US will make renewed push to achieve ceasefire in Gaza 'without Hamas in power'
US president Joe Biden has posted to social media to say that over the coming days the US will renew a push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
In the post, Biden said:
Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power.
A year’s worth of US attempts to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas have not succeeded since a brief pause in fighting and the release of some hostages that lasted from 24 November 2023 to 30 November 2023.
Earlier on Wednesday Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told news agency Reuters that the group “is interested in reaching an agreement that ends the war in Gaza,” but, he claimed, “The problem was always with [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu who has always escaped from reaching an agreement.”
Senior Hezbollah official Hassan Fadlallah, who is an MP in Lebanon, has said that the group would retain the right to defend itself if Israel attacked.
On Tuesday Fadlallah insisted that Hezbollah would remain active after its war with Israel ends, including by helping displaced Lebanese return to their villages and rebuilding areas destroyed by Israeli strikes.
Israel’s military today has said in a statement that it “remains in southern Lebanon and will actively enforce every violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
It said it had “identified suspects in southern Lebanon and fired toward them” over the last few hours.
The 60-day ceasefire period started in the early hours of Wednesday, and the terms are understood to be that by the end of it, Israel will have withdrawn from Lebanon, and the Lebanese army will be in position south of the Litani River to enforce an end to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hind Khoudary is in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza for Al Jazeera, and she reports that, with news of the ceasefire to the north, Palestinians “are very happy for Lebanon because they feel what war means.”
She writes that with the expectation that they might be next in line for a ceasefire deal “there is a little bit of hope.”
However, she adds:
But most people feel abandoned, that no one is hearing them. We’re talking about more than a year of continuous war, with over 40,000 Palestinians killed. People in northern Gaza are starving, forcibly displaced … and no one is listening.
Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting that 12 people “including children and women” have been killed by an Israeli strike on the Al-Tabi’in school in central Gaza City, which was housing displaced people.
The Hamas-led health authority in the territory has issued its latest casualty figures for the conflict, claiming that 44,282 Palestinians have been killed and 104,880 injured in Israel’s military offensive since 7 October 2023.
It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict.
Our video team have put together this report with clips of families in Lebanon making the journey back towards their homes now that a ceasefire agreement has been reached.
Reuters reports that Air France is to continue its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until the end of the year.
The British Red Cross has said it welcomes the news of a ceasefire in Lebanon, but says challenges lie ahead.
In a statement, Gabriel Karlsson, the Middle East country cluster manager at the British Red Cross, said:
Our attention must now shift to the immense challenges faced by the hundreds of thousands of people who have had their lives turned upside down and fled their homes. Many of them will be returning to areas extensively damaged by the conflict, often with little to no access to basic services. With winter upon us the harsh weather conditions only add to their hardship.
The statement urged people who wanted to help to make donations to its Gaza Crisis Appeal, with funds being directed across the region.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has also issued an alert calling for an urgent scaling up of humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
Juan Gabriel Wells, the IRC country director in Lebanon, said:
More than one hundred thousand homes have been either partially or fully destroyed across southern Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut leaving thousands of families without a safe place to return to. It is vital that the international community now also invest in Lebanon’s recovery. These efforts are not only about rebuilding infrastructure; they are also critical to restoring dignity and hope to families who have lost everything.
Israel’s military has issued a statement in which it has claimed that its recent military action in Lebanon destroyed 70% of the “stockpile of UAVs and cruise missiles” used by Hezbollah’s aerial unit, and also “eliminated” the unit’s chain of command.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Hani Mahmoud, reporting for Al Jazeera from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza writes that “There has been no end to attacks in Gaza since early this morning.”
He said the northern gate of Kamal Adwan hospital has been under “relentless attack”, and said that “quadcopters are causing massive fear and intimidation” and are impeding “the movement of paramedics, medical staff and volunteers bringing injured people to the hospital.”
Al Jazeera reports that since last night Israeli security forces have arrested at least 15 people in raids in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that two people were injured by live fire in Tubas, and have been transferred to hospital. The Wafa correspondent reported “widespread destruction of property and infrastructure” during the operation.
The total number of arrests made by Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since 7 October 2023 has been put at more than 11,800 by the Palestinian Prisoners Society. Many are detained without charge, it says.
In a statement, Israel’s military has claimed that in the hours leading up to the ceasefire coming into effect, it “conducted intelligence-based strikes on dozens of Hezbollah command centers, launchers, weapons storage facilities, and terrorist infrastructure sites” in Beirut, Tyre, and Nabatieh. It also claimed to have targeted what it said were “smuggling routes between Syria and Lebanon.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that Turkey was ready to help in any way possible to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, and expressed satisfaction with the ceasefire agreement that has come into effect in Lebanon, Reuters reports.
Speaker of parliament Berri urges Lebanese residents to return to homes as ceasefire appears to hold
The speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, Nabih Berri, has said that the war with Israel of the last few weeks had been the “most dangerous phase” in his country’s history, and urged residents to “return to your lands.”
Despite a warning from the Israeli military that it was not yet safe to do so, streams of cars have been heading south inside Lebanon as many of the estimated 900,000 displaced people attempt to return home.
In a televised message, Berri said Lebanon had “thwarted the effect of the Israeli aggression,” adding “the war showed Lebanon’s true face in cohesion and national unity.”
Berri also paid tribute to former Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel in Beirut in September.
The 60-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the US between Israel and Hezbollah came into force at 4am local time (2am GMT) on Wednesday, and so far appears to be holding.
However, Israel’s military said earlier it had fired warning shots at what it suspected were Hezbollah operatives in the Lebanese village of Kfarkela, which is directly opposite the Israeli town of Metula across the UN-drawn blue line that separates the two countries.
Israel’s air force reiterated that it continues to be ready to strike inside Lebanon if it deems it necessary, saying air defences are on high alert, and that “The IDF will act against anyone who tries to violate the ceasefire agreement, and will not allow harm to the security of the residents of Israel.”
The international community has broadly welcomed the ceasefire, which Jordan said it hoped would prompt more efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Turkey said Israel should pay reparations for damages caused by its military campaign inside Lebanon.
In its response to the ceasefire deal, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters “Hamas appreciates the right of Lebanon and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that protects the people of Lebanon and we hope that this agreement will pave the way to reaching an agreement that ends the war of genocide against our people in Gaza.”
At least 15 people have been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes on the north of Gaza on Wednesday morning.
Reuters is now carrying fuller quotes from Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri, who gave his reaction to the ceasefire in Lebanon and said the group were still interested in a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
He said:
Hamas appreciates the right of Lebanon and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that protects the people of Lebanon and we hope that this agreement will pave the way to reaching an agreement that ends the war of genocide against our people in Gaza.
Hamas showed high flexibility to reach an agreement and it is still committed to that position and is interested in reaching an agreement that ends the war in Gaza.
The problem was always with [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu who has always escaped from reaching an agreement.
Israel’s air force has reiterated that it continues to be ready to strike inside Lebanon if it deems it necessary, despite the beginning of the ceasefire in the last few hours. In a statement it said:
Even during the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon that came into effect this morning, the air force continues to be prepared and ready to operate in all Lebanese territory in order to protect our forces. The personnel of the air defence system are all on high alert, all the time. The IDF will act against anyone who tries to violate the ceasefire agreement, and will not allow harm to the security of the residents of Israel.
Here are some images sent over the news wires from close to the border that separates Israel and Lebanon this morning.
Italy and Jordan have joined a chorus of countries welcoming a ceasefire in Lebanon that came into effect a few hours ago.
Reuters reports that Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni said it had been a goal Italy had been working on for some time, while Jordan said the development should prompt greater international efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
Al Jazeera is quoting Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee council, saying that despite the ceasefire beginning this morning, a humanitarian crisis remains in Lebanon.
He said:
[The ceasefire] will be a moment of relief for the families I met recently in Lebanon – and for millions around the country – but this relief must be lasting.
Many will have no homes to return to, no schools for their children, and livelihoods destroyed. The wellbeing of children and their families must be prioritised in what will be a long journey to recovery.
It is now also far beyond time for the fighting in Gaza to cease too. The ceasefire in Lebanon must not lead to any further escalation there or elsewhere.
Reuters reports that it has seen the text of the ceasefire agreement, and that it stipulates only “official military and security forces” in Lebanon are authorised to carry arms in the country, specifically naming the Lebanese armed forces, the internal security forces, general security, state security, Lebanese customs and municipal police.
Here are some images of damage caused at the Arida border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, which was struck by the Israeli air force hours before the ceasefire came into force.
Residents returning to their homes in Lebanon have been cautioned about the risks posed by unexploded munitions.
The Lebanese Real Estate Authority in a statement said it was “the most beautiful thing” that people forced from their homes by Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon would be able to return, but warned of:
The remnants of war, and what the enemy may have left behind of explosives, weapons, cluster bombs, booby-traps, or foreign objects thrown among neighbourhoods and homes, which pose a danger to citizens and children.
It would have been more appropriate for the army and the relevant security authorities to conduct a security survey, and to inspect the damaged areas completely, so that adults and children would not fall victim, and it would not result in casualties.
Palestinian news sources are quoting Hamas official Abdel Rahman Shadid who has called for an escalation in “clashes with the occupation and settler militias throughout the West Bank.”
He is quoted as saying:
The resistance fighters in the city of Tubas and the camps of the West Bank prove every day that they will remain the first line of defence for our people and their land, and we stress the need to expand the scope of the resistance to include every inch of the West Bank and Palestine, to deter the occupation and its settlers from continuing their brutal crimes.
Reuters reports that Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri has this morning told it that the group hopes for a deal to end the war in Gaza, and says Hamas “appreciates” Lebanon’s right to reach an agreement with Israel.
In recent weeks, after nearly a year of efforts, Qatar pulled out of mediating ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, saying it did not believe that either side were continuing to negotiate in good faith.
Turkey has called for Israel to pay reparations for damage in Lebanon caused by its recent military campaign.
In a message offering support for the ceasefire agreement which came into force earlier today, Reuters reports the foreign ministry said:
It is imperative for the international community to exert pressure on Israel to fully comply with the ceasefire and to provide reparations for the damages it has caused in Lebanon.
Turkey also repeated its call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The number of people killed by Israeli strikes on Gaza on Wednesday morning has risen to 15, according to medics.
Reuters reports that the dead include two sons of former Hamas spokesperson, Fawzi Barhoum.
Israeli media reports that, after the ceasefire came into effect, the IDF fired warning shots at what it suspected were Hezbollah operatives in the Lebanese village of Kfarkela.
Posting to social media, and citing the IDF, Kan news military correspondent Itay Blumental reported:
In the last hour, IDF forces identified a number of vehicles in Lebanese territory with suspected Hezbollah operatives, in a restricted area near Kfarkela. The forces fired to prevent their arrival in the area, and the suspects moved away. The IDF says that the air force is prepared to act. The territory of Lebanon and the air defence system is on high alert. As of this time, there is no change in the directives of the Home front command.
Kfarkela is directly opposite the Israeli town of Metula, at almost the very northern tip of Israeli-controlled territory.
Egypt’s foreign ministry has issued a statement saying it welcomes the ceasefire in Lebanon, and that it will lead to de-escalation in the region, Reuters reports.
In a round of diplomacy in the region, Jordan’s King Abdullah II is heading to Egypt today, and then on to Cyprus.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that “a number of citizens, including children and women” have been killed by continued Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since dawn. Strikes are reported to have taken place on Gaza City and Beit Lahia, and 12 people are reported killed.
It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict.
Not everybody on the Israeli side of the UN-drawn blue line that separates Israel and Lebanon is optimistic that the ceasefire will represent a long-term end to hostilities.
Speaking to Israel’s army radio, Gabby Neeman, the mayor of the northern city of Shlomi, said many Israelis will continue to stay away from their homes at present.
Neeman met with Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the ceasefire agreement, and said afterwards “Everything we were shown testifies to the fact that the next round is ahead of us, whether in a month, two months or 10 years.”
Summary of the day so far
It’s coming up on 9am in Tel Aviv, Beirut and Gaza. Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
A 60-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the US between Israel and Hezbollah came into force at 4am local time (2am GMT) on Wednesday. If it holds, it represents a major milestone in the 14-month-old war in Lebanon, and will see Israel withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah will move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, about 18 miles (25km) north of the border.
Joe Biden, the US president, hailed the “historic” deal and said it was designed to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities”. Biden issued a joint statement with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, pledging that both countries would work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure the agreement is “fully implemented and enforced”.
The Israeli military warned displaced Lebanese residents from the country’s south that they could not return immediately as it remained a military area. “We will update you when it is safe to return to your homes,” the army’s spokesperson said in a post on social media. Though the ceasefire terms stipulate the IDF must withdraw completely from southern Lebanon within the 60-day period, it is not expected take place immediately.
Lebanon’s army said on Wednesday morning it is preparing to deploy to the south of the country. The deployment is in accordance with UN resolution 1701 – which formed the basis of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.
Despite those warnings, streams of cars carrying people displaced from southern Lebanon in recent months began heading south early on Wednesday after the ceasefire came into force. Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Residents whooped and cheered as they drove into Tyre, the second largest city in south Lebanon.
Importantly for Israel, Hezbollah dropped its demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon was contingent on ending the fighting in Gaza. The Israel-Hezbollah deal will not have any direct effect on the fighting in Gaza, where US efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have not led to a deal. “Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza,” Biden said during his address on Tuesday.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, endorsed the ceasefire after his full cabinet approved the deal. He said Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action” and would respond “forcefully” if Hezbollah violated the agreement. In televised remarks, Netanyahu said that there were three reasons to pursue a ceasefire: to focus on the threat from Iran; replenish depleted arms supplies and rest tired reservists; and to isolate Hamas.
News of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal was welcomed by world leaders. The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, called for the ceasefire to be turned into “a lasting political solution”, adding that Britain and its allies would continue to be at the “forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence” to achieve a “long-term, sustainable” peace in the Middle East. The president of the EU commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described it as “very encouraging news”.
Iran on Wednesday said it welcomed the end of Israel’s “aggression” in Lebanon, after a ceasefire deal came into force between Israel and Hezbollah, an armed group backed financially and militarily by Tehran. It reiterated its support for the Lebanese government.
Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Beirut even as Biden announced the ceasefire deal late on Tuesday and right down to the final hour before the truce took effect.
At least 3,823 people have been killed and 15,859 others wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since October 2023, according to the Lebanese health ministry on Tuesday. The latest figures include 55 people killed and 160 injured in strikes on Monday alone, the ministry said.
Updated
Syria has revised the death toll upward to six in the alleged Israeli strikes late on Tuesday which targeted Lebanon’s three northern border crossings with Syria for the first time (see earlier post here). For clarity: the strikes occurred before Wednesday morning’s ceasefire took effect.
Syria’s state news agency reported four civilians and two soldiers were killed, and 12 people were wounded including children, women and Syrian Red Crescent workers.
The Red Crescent said earlier a volunteer was killed and another was injured in “the aggression that targeted Al-Dabousyeh and Al-Arida crossings … as they were performing their humanitarian duty of rescuing the wounded early on Wednesday.”
Here’s more from William Christou, reporting for the Guardian:
The Lebanese army said on Wednesday morning that it was deploying in south Lebanon in accordance with UN resolution 1701 – which formed the basis of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. The resolution calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters north of the Litani river – about 18 miles from the Lebanon-Israel border – and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon.
The Lebanese army told residents of border villages not to return yet, as Israeli forces had not withdrawn from the villages.
“Now we’re returning! We’re just waiting for authorisation from the army and we’ll go straight to the village – even though there are no houses left,” said Rita Darwish, a displaced resident of Dheira, a village directly on the border which was remotely detonated by Israel last month.
The highway leading back to south Lebanon was choked with traffic, filled with cars filled with families and mattresses strapped to their roofs. Families lined the roads near Saida, waving and cheering as cars passed by.
Despite the jubilation, doubts remained over how long the ceasefire might last. Israeli drones buzzed over the skies of Tyre and Beirut, a reminder that the war could resume at any moment.
Lebanon's army says it is preparing to deploy to south Lebanon
Lebanon’s army said on Wednesday morning it is preparing to deploy to the south of the country, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, Reuters reports.
The army also asked in a statement that residents of border villages delay returning home until the Israeli military withdraws.
“With the ceasefire coming into effect, the army is taking the necessary measures to complete its deployment in the south,” the army said in a statement. “The army command calls on citizens to wait before returning to frontline villages and towns that Israeli enemy forces have penetrated, awaiting their withdrawal.”
The Lebanese army is expected to deploy 5,000 troops to the south under the ceasefire agreement, to help fill the breach after the IDF vacates. The call for displaced residents to delay their return also echoes an earlier warning from the Israeli military.
Updated
Roads to southern Lebanon packed despite doubts ceasefire will hold
A dispatch from my colleague William Christou, who is on the ground in Lebanon:
The roads leading from Beirut to south Lebanon were filled with traffic just hours after a ceasefire was established between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah and the Amal political movement issued guidelines for residents who wanted to return to their villages, south of the Litani river – though the Lebanese state had yet to advise their citizens.
Lebanese reported that they had received calls with pre-recorded warnings from Israel, telling them to not return to the south as it is still a military area.
Doubts over whether the ceasefire would hold were widespread, as the smell of the overnight bombing hung over the southern suburbs of Beirut and an Israeli drone buzzed overhead, despite the ceasefire.
Nonetheless, residents had already returned to south Lebanon, whooping and cheering as they drove into Tyre, the second largest city in south Lebanon. Much of Tyre and surrounding cities lay in ruin, after two months of Israeli bombing.
Updated
Here is our latest full report taking in the first few hours of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah:
A highly anticipated ceasefire aimed at ending the 14-month-old war between Israel and Hezbollah officially came into effect early on Wednesday morning, hours after Joe Biden hailed the “historic” moment.
The ceasefire officially began at 0200 GMT – 4am in Lebanon – after the heaviest day of raids on Beirut, including a series of strikes in the city’s centre, since Israel stepped up its air campaign in Lebanon in late September before sending in ground troops.
By 7am in Lebanon there were no immediate reports of alleged violations of the truce. Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
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 spokesperson 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.”
However, Reuters reporters saw dozens of cars leaving the port city of Sidon south of Beirut around 4am local time and heading deeper into southern Lebanon.
Updated
Displaced people started returning to the coastal city of Tyre on motorcycles and in cars early Wednesday, defying an Israeli military warning to stay away from previously evacuated areas.
Ahmad Husseini said returning to southern Lebanon was an “indescribable feeling” and praised Speaker of parliament Nabih Berri, who led Lebanon’s negotiations with Washington. “He made us and everyone proud.”
Husseini, who earlier fled a town near the coastal city, spoke to The Associated Press while in his car with family members.
Meanwhile, sporadic celebratory gunfire can be heard at a main roundabout in the city, as people returning honked the horns of cars – some piled with mattresses – and residents cheered.
A couple of men shouted slogans praising slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September.
Hussein Sweidan said he sees the ceasefire as a victory for Hezbollah. “This is a moment of victory, pride and honor for us, the Shia sect, and for all of Lebanon,” he said.
Some more images crossing the wires as the day breaks in Lebanon:
The UN humanitarian agency OCHA says the UN has been unable to reach people in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, in the north of the Gaza Strip, as it continues to face denials from Israeli authorities.
“Between 1 and 25 November, the UN attempted to reach these besieged areas 41 times,” OCHA said in its latest update.
Thirty-seven of these attempts were outright denied, while four were initially approved, but then severely impeded on the ground such that the assistance could not be delivered to people trapped in the besieged area.
Families recently displaced to Gaza City are facing critical shortages of supplies and services, severe overcrowding and dire hygiene conditions.
With the onset of heavy rains, over 1.6 million people living in makeshift shelters – nearly half a million of whom are in flood-prone areas urgently need adequate shelter, the agency said.
Iran welcomes end of Israel 'aggression' in Lebanon
Iran on Wednesday said it welcomed the end of Israel’s “aggression” in Lebanon, after a ceasefire deal came into force between Israel and Hezbollah, an armed group backed financially and militarily by Tehran.
“Welcoming the news” of the end of Israel’s “aggression against Lebanon”, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement, AFP reported, stressing Iran’s “firm support for the Lebanese government, nation and resistance”.
Iranian affairs expert Tohid Asadi told Al Jazeera that Iran’s leaders are following the ceasefire in Lebanon closely, with the top priority for Tehran being “the extent to which this is going to be translated into de-escalation”.
“This is the key objective for Iran – not to see an escalated situation, not to see an all-out war scenario,” the Tehran-based Asadi said.
As images continue to come in of displaced Lebanese returning to their homes in the country’s south, this story by the Guardian’s Jason Burke is worth a read for the view from Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.
“We are not expecting a promise of eternal peace,” one resident says. “I just want a quiet life to raise my kids and I know that the Lebanese people over the fence want the same … All wars end in diplomatic agreements so this will too.”
More on the cautious but nevertheless celebratory mood in parts of Lebanon, via the Associated Press:
As the ceasefire went into effect early Wednesday, much of the country was quiet for the first time since late September, after weeks of intense overnight strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon.
Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, battered over the past two months.
Israel’s Arabic military spokesperson Avichay Adraee has warned displaced Lebanese not to return to their villages in southern Lebanon, but some videos circulating on social media show displaced Lebanese defying these calls and returning to villages in the south near the coastal city of Tyre.
Israeli troops are still present in parts of southern Lebanon after Israel launched a ground invasion in October.
Lebanese have also been displaced from other parts of the country, notably the southern Beirut suburbs and the eastern Bekaa province. It’s unclear how long it will take cash-strapped Lebanon to rebuild these bombarded neighbourhoods.
The war has displaced more than 1.2 million people, according to the Lebanese government.
Updated
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has said in a statement that the ceasefire was a historic moment that was good for Israel, Lebanon and the security of the region, while also expressing hope that de-escalating tensions in Lebanon can be a catalyst for finding peace in Gaza.
Our support for Israel’s security remains ironclad, and so does our support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Iranian-backed terrorist organizations like Lebanese Hizballah and Hamas. The Department will consult closely with our international and interagency partners to support the implementation of the ceasefire.
As we welcome the news of this ceasefire, we also hope that de-escalating tensions across the Israel-Lebanon border also brings renewed hope for ending the tragic conflict in Gaza. We must continue to focus on improving the desperate humanitarian conditions in Gaza, and we remain committed to securing the release of all of the hostages in Gaza, including U.S. citizens.
Streams of cars head into southern Lebanon
Despite a warning from the Israeli military (see earlier post here) that it was not yet safe to do so, streams of cars carrying people displaced from southern Lebanon in recent months began heading south early on Wednesday after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into force.
Reuters reports dozens of cars leaving the port city of Sidon south of Beirut about 4:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) and heading deeper into southern Lebanon.
Updated
The Biden administration kept president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration closely apprised of its efforts to broker the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect early Wednesday, according to the outgoing Democratic administration.
Trump’s team, meanwhile, was quick to claim credit for the rare spot of good news for a Democratic administration that’s been dragged down by the grinding Mideast conflict, reports the Associated Press.
“Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” Mike Waltz, Trump’s choice for his national security adviser, said in a post on X on Tuesday, shortly before the Israeli cabinet signed off on the agreement.
The Biden administration’s reported coordination with Trump’s team on its efforts to forge the ceasefire in Lebanon is perhaps the highest-profile example of cooperation in a sometimes choppy transition period.
Updated
Some more world leaders have been voicing support for the ceasefire:
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed the deal, hailing it as “a ray of hope for the entire region”.
“People on both sides of the border want to live in genuine and lasting security,” Baerbock said in a statement, calling the deal “a success for diplomacy”.
A top UN official sounded a note of caution, saying that “considerable work lies ahead” to implement the deal.
“Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said in a statement.
A view from Beirut after the ceasefire had come into effect:
What does this mean for a ceasefire in Gaza?
Bethan McKernan has the following:
Importantly for the Israelis, Hezbollah has dropped its demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon is contingent on ending the fighting in Gaza.
Since a truce in the Gaza war collapsed after a week last November, ceasefire negotiations have repeatedly failed. Qatar, a major mediator between Israel and Hamas, announced earlier this month it was quitting its role until both parties showed “willingness and seriousness” in the talks.
Resettling or permanently reoccupying Gaza is not official Israeli policy, but senior defence officials recently told the Haaretz newspaper that the government was aiming to annex large parts of the territory rather than negotiate an end to the war.
The question that has the region on edge is whether the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants will hold.
The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border over the next 60 days. An international panel led by the United States will monitor compliance, while Lebanon’s national army and Unifil, the UN peacekeeping force, will be tasked with filling the void.
The ceasefire does not address the devastating war in Gaza, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable.
There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected.
As the 4am ceasefire threshold stipulated by President Biden passed, the situation appeared relatively calm in Israel, the New York Times reported. Hezbollah had not set off air raid sirens in the country by firing rockets and missiles since before midnight.
The quiet contrasted with some of the other scenes created by recent truces between Israel and militant groups, which saw both sides engage in minor exchanges of fire at roughly the same time those agreements were set to go into effect.
There were signs of apparent celebration in Beirut and no reported violations shortly after the ceasefire took effect, the Associated Press reported.
Some Israelis close to the border have expressed doubts.
“In my opinion, it would be a serious mistake to sign an agreement as long as Hezbollah has not been completely eliminated,” student Maryam Younnes, 29, told AFP.
Updated
IDF warns displaced Lebanese residents not to return home
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Israeli forces remained deployed in their positions inside southern Lebanon “as the ceasefire comes into effect and in accordance with its terms”.
He warned displaced Lebanese residents from the country’s south that they could not return immediately. “We will update you when it is safe to return to your homes,” he said in a post on social media.
Though the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon stipulates that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) must withdraw completely from southern Lebanon within the stipulated 60-day timeframe, the return of the troops to Israel is not expected take place immediately.
Updated
Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah comes into force
It is now past 4am local time in Tel Aviv and Beirut, and 2am GMT. That means the 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah is now in force.
If it holds, it represents a major milestone in the 14-month-old war in Lebanon, and in what Joe Biden called a “historic” moment as he announced the deal from the White House earlier on Tuesday.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, endorsed the ceasefire after his full cabinet approved the deal on Tuesday evening despite opposition from his far-right allies. In televised remarks, Netanyahu said he was ready to implement the deal, but added that Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action” in the event of an infringement by Hezbollah.
Under the deal’s terms, Israel will withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah will move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, about 16 miles (25km) north of the border.
During the transition phase, the Lebanese army will deploy to the buffer border zone alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force. Longstanding border disputes will be discussed after the 60-day withdrawal period.
“This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities. What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed, I emphasise, will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again,” Biden said.
Fighting continued down to the final hour before the ceasefire took effect, with reports of strikes on south Beirut after the Israel army issued an evacuation warning. That came after the IDF and Hezbollah traded attacks on multiple fronts in the preceding hours (see earlier post here).
Updated
Strikes on south Beirut after Israel army evacuation warning – report
Down to the final half-hour before the ceasefire comes into effect and AFP is reporting strikes on south Beirut after the Israel army’s evacuation warning.
“Urgent warning to residents of the Beirut area,” army spokesperson Avichay Adraee had earlier said in a post on X, telling people in the Bachoura area in the city centre to leave, as well as “all residents in the southern suburb area”, specifically in Ghobeiry.
Foreign ministers from G7 countries threw their strong support behind an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah but sidestepped the question of whether to enforce an international arrest warrant for Israel’s leader over the war in Gaza, the Associated Press reports.
In their final communique, the Group of Seven ministers demanded Israel “facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms” to Palestinians in Gaza, warning that its year-long assault had led to unprecedented food insecurity.
But they didn’t refer explicitly to The Hague-based international criminal court and its arrest warrants on charges of crimes against humanity for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant.
The warrants said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and Gallant have used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and have intentionally targeted Palestinian civilians in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza – charges Israeli officials deny.
Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official G7 meeting agenda, even though members were split on the issue and the right-wing government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, a strong supporter of Israel, said they were politically motivated.
The US, Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a member of the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” All the other G7 countries are signatories and are obliged to respect and implement the court’s decisions.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier outlined his rationale for agreeing to a ceasefire in Lebanon, in a recorded video address.
He provided three main reasons: to focus on the threat from Iran; replenish depleted arms supplies and rest tired reservists; and to isolate Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that triggered war in the region when it attacked Israel on 7 October last year.
“They were counting on Hezbollah to fight alongside them. Now they are left alone. The pressure on them will increase and this will help to free our hostages,” he said.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM), said it carried out an airstrike earlier against an “Iranian-aligned militia weapons storage facility in Syria”, in response to an attack on US forces in the area the previous day.
In a brief statement it said the purpose of the strike was to “degrade their [Iranian-aligned forces] ability to plan and launch future attacks on US and Coalition forces who are in the region”, and said that in its assessment there were no civilian casualties.
There are more details on the Israeli strikes late on Tuesday which targeted Lebanon’s three northern border crossings with Syria for the first time.
The strikes, Reuters reports, came moments after U.S. President Joe Biden announced that a ceasefire would come into effect on Wednesday to halt hostilities between Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel.
Syria’s Red Crescent said a volunteer was killed and another was injured “as they were performing their humanitarian duty of rescuing the wounded early on Wednesday”. The strike damaged several ambulances and work points, it added in a statement.
Syrian state TV reported 18 people were injured, some in critical condition, in an Israeli strike on the Arida border crossing, with the wounded transported to nearby hospitals, while casualties were also reported in a separate Israeli strike on the Dabousieh border crossing with Lebanon.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment. It has previously stated that it targets what it says are Iran-linked sites in Syria as part of a broader campaign to curb the influence of Iran and its ally Hezbollah in the region.
Terms of the ceasefire
The 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is due to go into effect at 4am local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday.
Under the deal’s terms, Israel will withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah will move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, about 16 miles (25km) north of the border.
During the transition phase, the Lebanese army will deploy to the buffer border zone alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force. Longstanding border disputes will be discussed after the 60-day withdrawal period.
The US is expected to be a key security guarantor. American troops will not be committed to the Israel-Lebanon border but the US, France and its allies would provide the “necessary assistance” to ensure the deal is implemented “fully and effectively”, US President Joe Biden said. He said the ceasefire was designed to lead to “a permanent cessation of hostilities”.
Importantly for Israel, Hezbollah dropped its demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon was contingent on ending the fighting in Gaza. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would “maintain full freedom of military action” in Lebanon “with the United States’ full understanding”.
“If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack,” Netanyahu said.
Updated
Lebanon's prime minister says ceasefire a 'fundamental step’ towards regional stability
Lebanon’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, earlier welcomed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah during a call with the US president, Joe Biden, on Tuesday.
A series of posts on X from Mikati described the proposal as a “fundamental step towards restoring calm and stability in Lebanon and enabling displaced persons to return to their towns and cities”.
He thanked the US and France for their involvement, and reiterated his government’s commitment to “strengthen the army’s presence in the south”. Mikati said:
While I value the joint efforts of the United States and France in reaching this understanding, I reaffirm the government’s commitment to implementing UN security council Resolution 1701, enhancing the presence of the Lebanese Army in the South, and cooperating with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).
News of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal has been welcomed by world leaders.
The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, called for the ceasefire to be turned into “a lasting political solution”, adding that Britain and its allies will continue to be at the “forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence” to achieve a “long-term, sustainable” peace in the Middle East.
The president of the EU commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described it as “very encouraging news”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that a ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Lebanon should “open the path” for an ending of the war in Gaza.
UN secretary-general António Guterres said “he hopes that this agreement can put an end to the violence, destruction and suffering the people of both countries have been experiencing”.
Israel and Hezbollah trade attacks just hours before agreed ceasefire
Both sides appeared intent on trading attacks in the final hours before an agreed 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah comes into force.
Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Beirut even as Biden announced the ceasefire deal late on Tuesday. Israel’s military issued more evacuation warnings for Beirut’s southern suburbs through the night. Several airstrikes were reported in Beirut.
“Urgent warning to residents of the Beirut area,” army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X early on Wednesday, telling people in the Bachoura area in the city centre to leave, as well as “all residents in the southern suburb area”, specifically in Ghobeiry.
Hezbollah said it launched drones at “sensitive military targets” in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening, after deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut and as news of a ceasefire deal was announced.
“In response to the targeting of the capital Beirut and the massacres committed by the Israeli enemy against civilians,” Hezbollah launched “drones at a group of sensitive military targets in the city of Tel Aviv and its suburbs”, the Iran-backed group said in a statement.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 people in central Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanon’s health ministry said. At least seven people were killed and 37 others injured after Israel launched attacks on 20 targets on the Lebanese capital in just 120 seconds, it said.
Israeli strikes late on Tuesday also targeted Lebanon’s three northern border crossings with Syria for the first time, Lebanon’s transport minister Ali Hamieh told Reuters.
The strikes came moments after the US president, Joe Biden, announced that a ceasefire in Lebanon would come into effect at 4am local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday.
Updated
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Middle East crisis.
At 4am local time (0200 GMT), we are expecting a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to come into effect. The deal was announced by Joe Biden on Tuesday, after Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said his ministers had approved it.
“This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden said.
Lebanon’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, has welcomed the deal as a “fundamental step towards restoring calm and stability in Lebanon and enabling displaced persons to return to their towns and cities”.
The US, EU, UN and G7 had all pushed for a halt in the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah after more than a year of violence.
Biden and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said the ceasefire would protect Israel from Hezbollah and create the conditions for a “lasting calm”. Macron later said the deal could “open the path” for an end to the war in Gaza.
In the hours before the ceasefire, Hezbollah said it launched drones at “sensitive military targets” in Tel Aviv following deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut.
Here is our full report:
And these are the main developments so far today:
Joe Biden, the US president, announced a highly anticipated ceasefire to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. In remarks from the White House Rose Garden, Biden hailed the “historic” deal and said it was designed to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities”.
The 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is due to go into effect at 4am local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday. The US is expected to be a key security guarantor. American troops will not be committed to the Israel-Lebanon border but the US, France and its allies would provide the “necessary assistance” to ensure the deal is implemented “fully and effectively”, Biden said.
Under the deal’s terms, Israel will withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah will move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, about 16 miles (25km) north of the border. During a 60-day transition phase, the Lebanese army will deploy to the buffer border zone alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force. Longstanding border disputes will be discussed after the 60-day withdrawal period.
Importantly for Israel, Hezbollah dropped its demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon was contingent on ending the fighting in Gaza. The Israel-Hezbollah deal will not have any direct effect on the fighting in Gaza, where US efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have not led to a deal. “Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza,” Biden said during his address on Tuesday. Asked if he would be able to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza before leaving office, Biden crossed his fingers and replied: “I think so. I hope so. I’m praying.”
Biden issued a joint statement with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, pledging that both countries would work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure the agreement is “fully implemented and enforced”. “This announcement will create the conditions to restore lasting calm and allow residents in both countries to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line,” the two leaders said.
Biden’s announcement came after Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, endorsed the ceasefire after his full cabinet approved the deal. Israel’s national security cabinet voted to approve the deal by 10-1, according to the prime minister’s office. The far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he opposed the agreement, calling it a “historical mistake” but did not threaten to withdraw from Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
Netanyahu said Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action” and would respond “forcefully” if Hezbollah violated the agreement. In televised remarks after the Israeli security cabinet voted on the proposal, Netanyahu said that there were three reasons to pursue a ceasefire: to focus on the threat from Iran; replenish depleted arms supplies and rest tired reservists; and to isolate Hamas.
Lebanon’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, welcomed the ceasefire deal, describing it as a “fundamental step towards restoring calm and stability”. Mikati thanked the US and France for their involvement, and reiterated his government’s commitment to “strengthen the army’s presence in the south”.
News of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal was welcomed by world leaders. The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, called for the ceasefire to be turned into “a lasting political solution”, adding that Britain and its allies would continue to be at the “forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence” to achieve a “long-term, sustainable” peace in the Middle East. The president of the EU commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described it as “very encouraging news”.
Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Beirut even as Biden announced the ceasefire deal late on Tuesday. With just a few hours to go until the ceasefire went into effect, Israel’s military issued more evacuation warnings for Beirut’s southern suburbs. Several airstrikes were reported in Beirut.
Israeli airstrikes struck central Beirut earlier on Tuesday as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a flurry of evacuation warnings that sent large numbers of people fleeing to safer areas. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 people in central Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanon’s health ministry said. At least seven people were killed and 37 others injured after Israel made strikes on 20 targets on the Lebanese capital within 120 seconds, it said.
At least 3,823 people have been killed and 15,859 others wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since October 2023, according to the Lebanese health ministry on Tuesday. The latest figures include 55 people killed and 160 injured in strikes on Monday alone, the ministry said.
At least 13 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing medics. Dozens of people were also wounded in the strike that hit the Al-Hurreya school in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, medics said. Separately, seven people were killed during an Israeli airstrike on a house also in the Zeitoun area, and an Israeli strike killed at least one man in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, Reuters said.
Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said it should occupy the Gaza Strip and halve its Palestinian population by the “encouragement of voluntary emigration”. “We can and must conquer the Gaza Strip. We should not be afraid of that word,” Smotrich said at an event late on Monday.
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