Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a new ceasefire in Lebanon, in a diplomatic move aimed at containing one of the most volatile fronts in the wider Middle East crisis.
A senior US official said the ceasefire would come into effect at 4pm local time on Friday, following mediation involving the United States and Qatar, with assistance from Iran.
The agreement follows renewed exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah earlier in the day, including deadly fighting in southern Lebanon. The latest escalation had raised fresh concerns that violence on the Lebanon front could undermine broader efforts to reduce tensions across the region.
The ceasefire also comes amid intense diplomatic activity following the disruption of planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland, which were affected by the continuing Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Diplomatic sources hope the truce can help create more favourable conditions for wider de-escalation efforts, including discussions linked to a US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing hostilities in the region.
