Israel, Hezbollah Reach Ceasefire Set for Friday Start, US Official Says

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire set to begin at 4 pm local time on Friday, according to a senior US official speaking on background.

The deal was worked out by negotiators for the US and Qataris with assistance from Iran. The official stated that after an exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire.

The intensification of violence in Lebanon strained the US-Iranian interim agreement signed on Wednesday to end the wider war in the Middle East. A Hezbollah lawmaker told Reuters that Iran had informed the group that talks with Washington could not continue without the implementation of a comprehensive ceasefire.

Overnight, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers were killed in south Lebanon in one of the deadliest attacks by Hezbollah during this war. The Iran deal requires the United States, Iran, and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. Violence abated significantly earlier this week but has since picked up.