In a significant development in West Asia, Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon. The agreement is expected to come into effect immediately.

Israel’s Security Cabinet, the country’s top decision-making body under the government has reportedly agreed to the ceasefire, news agency Reuters reported.

Israel and Lebanon-based, Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah have been at war for several months now. Hezbollah had started attacking Israel with rockets and projectiles for over a year leading to a retaliation from Tel Aviv. Hezbollah has been backing Hamas, another Iran-backed militant group which it considers its ally.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 2023, when the terrorists took Israeli hostages at a concert. Hamas is based in Gaza, which is where the war began after Israel retaliated to the terror attack. Since then, the war in West Asia, popularly called the Middle-East, has led to large-scale destruction and death of tens of thousands of people in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to the temporary ceasefire and so has his security cabinet. A formal agreement from Lebanon is awaited too.
 

The conflict has been Lebanon’s deadliest in decades, killing more than 3,800 people since last year. 

​The conflict has been Lebanon’s deadliest in decades, killing more than 3,800 people since last year.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he backed a US-brokered ceasefire with Hezbollah. However, the duration of the ceasefire “depends on what will happen in Lebanon. In full understanding with the United States, we maintain full military freedom of action.”Netanyahu warned that Israel “will attack” if Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself” or “if it tries to renew terrorist infrastructure near the border”. Earlier, the IDF hit Beirut’s southern suburbs with a wave of airstrikes just before Israel’s cabinet met to discuss a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it had struck over 180 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including 20 sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs within two minutes.Meanwhile, the IDF said Hezbollah fired over 60 rockets at northern areas of Israel n18oc_crux