Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire begins; What's in the truce deal?

The cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has officially come into force.

The truce began at 4:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) local time. 

If the deal holds, it will end more than a year of war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has forced tens of thousands of people in Israel and hundreds of thousands more in Lebanon to flee their homes. The two sides have been trading blows since October 8, 2023, a day after Hamas launched terrorist attacks on southern Israel. 

Hezbollah said its cross-border strikes against Israel were in support of its Palestinian ally.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated dramatically in recent months.

In September, Israel stepped up its bombing campaign and mounted a ground operation in a bid to push Hezbollah's militants away from the country's northern border. 

Iran-backed Hezbollah is considered a terror group by the US, Germany and several other countries.

What's in the cease-fire deal?

The agreement is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 36-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

• It calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon within the next 60 days.
• Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border with Israel.
• Lebanon's army, along with the United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL, will secure the border area to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its infrastructure there.
• Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib stated that the Lebanese military could deploy up to 10,000 troops in southern Lebanon
• Lebanon's deputy speaker of parliament Elias Bou Saab told Reuters a pre-existing tripartite mechanism between UNIFIL, the Lebanese, and Israeli militaries would be expanded to include the US and France, with the US chairing the group.
• According to US President Joe Biden, civilians on both sides of the border will be able to return to their communities.