Israel, Hezbollah have agreed to ceasefire starting Friday, report claims
What's the story
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire starting Friday afternoon, a senior United States official told Reuters. The official said the agreement was reached with the help of United States and Qatari negotiators. The ceasefire is set to begin at 4:00pm local time on Friday (1300GMT). "We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire," they said.
Escalation aftermath
Ceasefire comes after spike in violence
The ceasefire comes after a recent spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli airstrikes on Thursday night killed at least 18 people in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, while Israel claimed four of its soldiers were killed by Hezbollah in south Lebanon. This escalation had put a strain on a US-Iran interim agreement signed earlier this week to end wider hostilities in the Middle East.
Ceasefire terms
Iran told Hezbollah US talks can't continue without ceasefire
A Hezbollah lawmaker had earlier told Reuters that Iran had communicated to the group that talks with Washington couldn't continue without a comprehensive ceasefire. The deal requires an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. While violence had reduced earlier this week, it has since intensified again.
Diplomatic efforts
Netanyahu vows Israeli troops will remain in Lebanon
Defying the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said that its forces will remain in Lebanon "as long as necessary for the protection of the communities of the north." "Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks," Netanyahu said after four Israeli soldiers were killed.