Lebanese Ceasefire Begins, Series Of Shots Sound In Beirut

UNSPLASH/Anna Danielyan ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group took effect today at 04.00 a.m. local time or 09.00 a.m. local time.

US President Joe Biden said both sides accepted the agreement brokered by the United States and France.

The sound of gunfire was heard throughout Beirut after the ceasefire was imposed.

It is not yet clear whether the gunfire was a celebration, as gunfire was also used to alert residents who may have missed the evacuation warning issued by the Israeli military.

The autoflow began heading to southern Lebanon, which borders Israel, after a ceasefire on Wednesday morning, according to Reuters witnesses.

The ceasefire promised to end the conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border that has killed thousands of people since the conflict was sparked by the Gaza war last year.

Biden spoke at the White House on Tuesday, November 26, shortly after Israel's security cabinet approved the agreement in a 10--1 vote.

Biden said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The fighting ended at 04.00 a.m. local time.

"It's designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities," Biden said.

"What's left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed to threaten Israel's security anymore," he stressed.

Israel will gradually withdraw its troops for 60 days when the Lebanese army takes over territory near its border with Israel to ensure Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there.