&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire starting Friday after latest flare-up, says report citing US official")
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire set to begin at 4 pm local time on Friday, said a senior US official after a deadly escalation threatened to derail the diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a lasting peace deal across the Middle East.
“Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire," said the official, adding that negotiators from the United States and Qatar helped broker the agreement with assistance from Iran.
“We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” said the official confirming that both sides had agreed to halt hostilities after a day of intense fighting.
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The breakthrough follows a flare-up in southern Lebanon in which 18 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes and four Israeli soldiers died in attacks by Hezbollah militants. The violence raised fears that tension on Israel’s northern border could undermine broader diplomatic efforts tied to the conflict involving Iran.
The Israel-Hezbollah truce is seen as a critical step toward preserving negotiations between Washington and Tehran for a more comprehensive peace settlement.
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The fighting in Lebanon had already complicated diplomatic efforts as planned talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland were cancelled as violence escalated.
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Israel accuses Hezbollah of violating ceasefire
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Friday that it struck more than 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since midnight.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Israeli forces retain “full operational freedom” in Lebanon and will continue to act against what Israel describes as threats from Hezbollah.
In a post on X, Adraee accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire “in an attempt to prevent our forces from completing the destruction of its capabilities”.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
