Ceasefire in Israel's war on Lebanon takes effect

The ceasefire in Israel's war on Lebanon has begun as a region on edge wonders whether it will hold.

The ceasefire began at 4 am on Wednesday, hours after Israel carried out its most intense wave of air strikes in capital Beirut since the start of Israel's war in October 2023.

There were signs of apparent celebration in Beirut and no reported violations shortly after ceasefire took effect.

The ceasefire announced on Tuesday is a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting — during which Israel killed nearly 4,000 people, wounded nearly 16,000 and uprooted over a million in Lebanon — sparked by the ongoing Israeli genocide in besieged Gaza.

On the Israeli side, the hostilities with Hezbollah have killed at least 82 Israeli soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities say.

Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah group breaks the ceasefire agreement. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

The ceasefire calls for an initial two-months 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. An international panel led by the United States will monitor compliance.

Israeli aggression after truce announcement

The Israeli army warned soon after the ceasefire began that residents of south Lebanon should not approach areas it occupies.

"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 spokesman 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."

The hours before the truce took effect were some of the most violent in the war.

Israel conducted a spate of strikes on the heart of the Lebanese capital, while Hezbollah claimed attacks on northern Israel ahead of the truce.

Air strikes also hit Beirut's southern suburbs early on Wednesday, according to AFPTV, less than an hour before the truce came into force.

The Israeli army about two hours earlier ordered the evacuation of areas of central Beirut and the southern suburbs of the capital.

Hezbollah did not participate in any direct talks for the truce, with Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri mediating on its behalf.

It has yet to formally comment on the truce that was announced by US President Joe Biden.

Biden's announcement followed a flurry of Israeli strikes on central Beirut as well as on areas in the southern suburbs.

One strike hit the normally busy Hamra district, home to residential buildings, restaurants, offices, shops, the American University of Beirut and its associated hospital.

Earlier, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that three strikes hit the central Nweiri neighbourhood and destroyed a "four-storey building housing displaced people".

The Health Ministry said one of those strikes killed seven people and wounded 37 others.

"We were blown away and the walls fell on top of us," said Rola Jaafar, who lives in the building opposite.