It could give some reprieve to the 1.2 million Lebanese displaced by the fighting and the tens of thousands of Israelis who fled their homes along the border with Lebanon.

A cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah brokered by the U.S. and France took effect in Lebanon early Wednesday, raising hopes of ending more than a year of cross-border strikes and a full-scale war that has killed thousands.

The deal to halt Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a victory for negotiators after weeks of intense talks, went into effect Wednesday morning.

Approval from Israeli ministers, in a 10 to 1 vote, came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embraced the proposal in a televised speech. Just hours earlier, Israeli forces had pounded the heart of Beirut and Hezbollah-dominated neighborhoods with some of the heaviest airstrikes of the war.

Israel's security cabinet has agreed a ceasefire deal with Lebanon, Channel 12 reported on Tuesday. The accord was expected to take effect on Wednesday. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Crispian Balmer) Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

The agreement halts fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for 60 days, as negotiators aim to stop Lebanon’s deadliest war in decades.

A cease-fire in Lebanon, approved by Israel's security cabinet, came into effect Wednesday in a bid to quell the fighting with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group. Photo: Marwan Naamani/Zuma