Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire that took effect at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Friday, a senior U.S. official told Reuters, following a sharp escalation in hostilities overnight.
The ceasefire came after Israeli air strikes killed at least 18 people in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel’s military also said four of its soldiers were killed during the fighting.
Earlier on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had struck about 80 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing “dozens” of the Iran-backed group’s fighters.
The truce follows a U.S.-brokered agreement reached earlier this week to end the conflict involving Iran, which also called for a cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Confirming the development, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said: “We are in a ceasefire. The IDF is prepared to continue fighting if called upon to do so.”
A senior U.S. official said Israel and Hezbollah agreed to the ceasefire after negotiations involving the United States and Qatar, with assistance from Iran.
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