23:00 In its first statement after a ceasefire brokered by the US and France took effect in the early hours of Wednesday morning; the Lebanese group said: "The Islamic Resistance was able to achieve victory over the delusional enemy who was unable to undermine our resolve or break our will."
"The final word was on the battlefield. Our fighters thwarted the enemy's objectives and defeated his army."
"In support of the steadfast Palestinian people and their honourable resistance, and defence of our resilient Lebanese people, the Islamic Resistance fulfilled the command of its martyred Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Sheikh Naim Qassem," the statement read.
Hezbollah also pledged to remain ready to defend against any future Israeli aggression.
20:30 Historian and journalist Craig Murray documented the scale of the devastation left by weeks of Israeli airstrikes on the Dahiya in southern Beirut in a new post on his X account hours after the ceasefire took effect.
19:45 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon that took effect earlier on Wednesday was "the first ray of hope" in the regional conflict after months of escalation.
"It is essential that those who signed the ceasefire commitment respect it in full," he said in a short statement. He spoke while visiting his native Lisbon alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, urging an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
19:30 Hamas called "on the international community and free peoples to take urgent action to save our people from the war of genocide and the war of starvation imposed by the fascist enemy government against our people."
"The enemy continues its military operation on Jabalia and Beit Lahia, besieging them with a tight siege and killing everyone who leaves them," said the Islamic Resistance Movement.
"The enemy intensifies its murders in the city of Beit Lahia, which is being subjected to violent shelling, and tightens its siege on the city for the 55th day," Hamas said about the Israeli deadly military offensive and siege against various towns and refugee camps in northern Gaza since the first week of October.
"In light of this ongoing military operation in northern Gaza, which is concentrated in Jabalia and Beit Lahia, the American administration, the main partner and supporter of the Zionist enemy, bears full responsibility for the crimes of murder and the war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip."
The Hamas statement comes hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese group that supported Hamas in the war against Israel, took effect on Wednesday morning.
19:15 The Biden administration is pushing ahead with a $680 million arms sales package to Israel, a US official familiar with the plan said on Wednesday, even as a US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah has come into effect.
The package, first reported by the Financial Times, includes thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAM) and hundreds of small-diameter bombs, according to the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
19:00 The Kremlin said it welcomed a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon.
"Moscow sees it positively," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agencies when asked about the deal.
He added: "It is important that the implementation of this deal corresponds to the agreements that were reached."
17:30 Israel told the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday that it will appeal against arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister on war crimes charges.
Israel also asked the court to suspend the warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant pending the outcome of the appeal, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Last week, the ICC, the highest international criminal court, issued arrest warrants for the two Israeli leaders, accusing them of overseeing war crimes in their war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Last winter, the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest court, deemed that the Israeli war on Gaza amounted to acts of genocide against the Palestinians.
The ICC arrest warrants mean that countries have the prerogative to arrest Netanyahu or Gallant if they arrive on their soil and hand them to the court in the Hague.
One hundred twenty-four countries have signed on to the Rome Statute.
Most European signatories to the statute have expressed respect for the ICC decision.
However, the United States, Israel's main sponsor, denounced the ruling, with President-Elect Donald Trump vowing to punish judges in the court for their actions once in office.
16:30 The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Wednesday, saying it had begun adjusting operations to the "new situation".
"We will continue performing our mandated tasks, and we have already begun adjusting our operations to the new situation," UNIFIL said in a statement, adding that peacekeepers "stand ready to support Lebanon and Israel in this new phase".
"We will cooperate with all relevant partners to make the cessation of hostilities work," it said.
15:59 US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed drive for a Gaza ceasefire, and captives release deal now that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a truce, his national security adviser said.
That will increase pressure on the Palestinian group Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal, Jake Sullivan told MSNBC.
Sullivan said Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu right before the US—and French-brokered truce with Lebanon was announced. They agreed to try again for a Gaza agreement that has eluded negotiators for months.
"President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other regional actors," Sullivan said.
"We believe that this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East in which Israel's security is assured and US interests are secured," he added.
As he announced the agreement Tuesday, Biden said the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel would make another push for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel is still running its genocidal war.
Biden said Washington would also push for a long-explored deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
15:00 At least 16 Palestinians were killed, and dozens were wounded in Israeli strikes targeting a school shelter, a gathering of citizens, and a house in Gaza City and northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry said that the occupation forces committed three massacres across the Gaza Strip, killing 33 people and injuring 134 within the last 24 hours.
The Ministry confirmed that the total number of victims of the Israeli war has risen to 44,282 people killed and 104,088 injured since 7 October 2023.
Palestinians mourn as they hold the body of a relative killed in an Israeli strike at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, in Gaza City. AFP
14:38 Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group is cooperating over the army's deployment in south Lebanon, denying fighters had bases there and saying nobody could force residents to leave their villages.
There is "full cooperation" with the Lebanese state over strengthening the army's deployment in south Lebanon, Fadlallah told AFP, adding that the group has "no visible weapons or bases" there and that "nobody can make residents leave their villages".
Meanwhile, the Deputy Head of Hezbollah's Political Council, Mahmoud Qomati, said that the issue of Hezbollah's hostages in Israel is a primary concern, and the group is following it up with utmost seriousness.
"We are preparing for a funeral for Hassan Nasrallah that will serve as a referendum on embracing the resistance and the path of the deceased," Qomati said in a press conference in Beirut's southern suburbs, as reported by Al Jazeera.
13:46 The Israel Hayom newspaper reported that families of captives held in Gaza are staging a sit-in outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in the Knesset, demanding a swift captive-prisoner exchange deal with the Hamas group in Gaza.
12:30 Lebanon's prime minister said the army will reinforce its presence in the south, urging Israel to withdraw and respect the terms of the ceasefire.
"I demand that the Israeli enemy abide by the ceasefire deal and withdraw" from Lebanese territory, Najib Mikati said, adding, "I hope this will be a new page for Lebanon; I hope the coming days will lead to the election of a president."
As soon as the ceasefire took effect, the Lebanese began to return to their homes in the south and east of the country.
12:07 The Palestinian Authority expressed hopes that a ceasefire in Lebanon would bring stability to the region, especially in war-torn Gaza.
"We hope that this step will contribute to stopping the violence and instability that the region is suffering from," the Palestinian presidency said in a statement, and highlighted the need to enforce a UN resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
12:05 Yemen's Houthis welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, calling the deal a victory for Hezbollah.
"We salute the great steadfastness of Hezbollah and the dear Lebanese people in the face of the brutal Israeli aggression," Mohammed Abdul Salam, a spokesman for the group, posted on X. "Thanks to this steadfastness... Lebanon was able to achieve a new victory.
11:50 Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri called on those displaced by Israel's war to return home as a ceasefire took hold, also urging the swift election of a new president.
"I invite you to return to your homes... return to your land," said Berri, despite warnings to the contrary from Lebanon and Israel's militaries.
He also called for the country to "quickly elect a president", as political bickering has left Lebanon without a head of state for over two years.
A girl gestures while sitting in a car decorated with a portrait of slain Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah, as displaced people make their way back to their homes in the south of Lebanon after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. AFP
11:30 Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon and expressed hopes for a similar step in Gaza.
In a statement, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the ceasefire “an important step.” But it said “Israeli aggression on Gaza” must be stopped.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to force it to “strictly comply with the ceasefire and compensate for the damage it has caused in Lebanon.”
The ministry also urged the establishment of a “permanent and comprehensive” ceasefire in Gaza, calling on Israel to “end its aggressive policies.”
Iraq's Foreign Ministry statement called for "multiplying international efforts to avoid any new escalation" along the Israel-Lebanon border while also urging "serious, urgent steps to stop the continued massacres and violations against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip".
11:30 Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the Palestinian group appreciates Lebanon's right to reach an agreement that protects its people.
"Hamas appreciates the right of Lebanon and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that protects the people of Lebanon, and we hope that this agreement will pave the way to reaching an agreement that ends the war of genocide against our people in Gaza," Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
Abu Zuhri blamed the failure to reach a ceasefire deal that would end the Gaza war on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Hamas showed high flexibility to reach an agreement, and it is still committed to that position and is interested in reaching an agreement that ends the war in Gaza," Abu Zuhri said.
"The problem was always with Netanyahu, who has always escaped from reaching an agreement," he added.
Senior Palestinian Authority Hussein Al-Sheikh welcomed the agreement in Lebanon in the occupied West Bank.
"We welcome the decision to ceasefire in Lebanon, and we call on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its criminal war in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and to stop all its escalatory measures against the Palestinian people," Sheikh a confidant of President Mahmoud Abbas, posted on X.
10:50 Lebanese Defense Minister Maurice Sleem announced that the Lebanese army will increase the number of its forces in the south to 10,000 troops.
"There will be no presence other than the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces on Lebanese territory," Sleem told Al Jazeera.
"We are committed to international resolutions, and our sovereignty is based on our army reaching our southern borders.", he added.
Lebanese Army troops patrol the main road south of the Litani River in Qasmiye near the port city of Tyre. AFP
10:45 The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that Defense Minister Yisrael Katz instructed the army to arrest any Hezbollah member who approaches areas described as "restricted" in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the head of the Shlomi Council in western Galilee, northern Israel, confirmed that there is no plan yet for the return of residents or compensation, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement on Tuesday that the government would allow the return of northern residents after assessing Hezbollah's commitment to the ceasefire agreement, Israeli Army Radio reported.
The official added that what was presented to him by Netanyahu during a meeting yesterday indicated that what he described as the "next round" of the war with Hezbollah is imminent, whether in a month or in years, as he claimed.
10:40 Jean-Yves Le Drian, the envoy of French President Emmanuel Macron, is heading to Lebanon to discuss a solution to the country's political crisis following the announcement of the ceasefire with Israel.
According to Al Jazeera, the two-year-old presidential vacancy in Lebanon will likely also be addressed.
Additionally, indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel will continue to reach an agreement on the demarcation of land borders in line with the terms of the ceasefire agreement,
10:35 UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
Guterres expressed hope that the agreement would put an end to the violence, suffering, and destruction experienced by both Lebanese and Israelis.
Meanwhile, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, said that Lebanon is facing what he described as the most devastating humanitarian crisis in a generation.
He emphasized that the ceasefire represents the greatest hope for ending the immense suffering.
10:39 Egypt welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, expressing hopes that the agreement would contribute to regional de-escalation through the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which includes the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon and its control over all Lebanese territory.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, also stressed that this agreement should serve as a stepping stone to halt Israeli aggression in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access for Palestinians, and an end to violations in the West Bank.
The statement also underscored the need for de-escalation in the region, emphasizing that military solutions are not viable for resolving regional crises. Instead, Egypt advocated for negotiations and the restoration of rights.
10:34 At least 15 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting Gaza City and Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, WAFA news agency reported.
Medical sources reported that eight civilians were killed in an early morning airstrike on a school in Gaza City, while four civilians were killed in a strike on a house on Baghdad Street in the Al-Shujaiya neighbourhood, east of Gaza City.
Additionally, three civilians were killed in a strike near the gate of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia.
According to Al Jazeera, 28 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli bombings in areas in northern Gaza since Wednesday dawn.
This comes amid intensified attacks and a tightened Israeli siege aimed at forcing displaced residents to move toward the southern part of Gaza.
Bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes are prepared ahead of their funeral at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, in Gaza City. AFP
10:30 France's foreign minister indicated that Some leaders could have 'immunity' at the International Criminal Court under the Rome Statute that established the institution after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister.
In an interview with Franceinfo radio, Jean-Noel Barrot did not give a specific answer when asked if France would arrest Netanyahu if he stepped on French territory.
He said France "is very committed to international justice and will apply international law based on its obligations to cooperate with the ICC."
But he added that the court's statute "deals with questions of immunity for certain leaders".
"It is ultimately up to the judicial authorities to decide," he added.
10:29 The UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, said that the UN has been unable to reach people in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip due to continued denials from Israeli authorities.
"Between 1 and 25 November, the UN attempted to reach these besieged areas 41 times," OCHA said in its latest update.
"Thirty-seven of these attempts were outright denied, while four were initially approved but later severely impeded on the ground, preventing assistance from reaching people trapped in the besieged areas," the UN agency added.
It also noted that coordinated aid missions to areas in the Rafah governorate, where an ongoing Israeli army attack has been underway since early May, have faced similar obstacles.
OCHA added, "With the onset of heavy rains, over 1.6 million people living in makeshift shelters — nearly half a million of whom are in flood-prone areas urgently need adequate shelter.
10:14 Canadian doctors who have participated in medical missions to Gaza calls on Canada to fulfil its obligations under international law at a press conference in Ottawa.
The group of healthcare professionals who have volunteered in Gaza since October 2023 united in their condemnation of Israel, asserting that Israel is committing genocide.
During the press conference on Parliament Hill, they announced that they had signed a letter demanding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly end Canada's complicity in Israel's war crimes.
They revealed that many of them have testified to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the genocide they witnessed.
10:00 In an interview with Al Jazeera before the truce came into force, US envoy Amos Hochstein said Israeli forces positioned two to three kilometres (1.2 to 1.8 miles) from the border with Lebanon "will remain in place for now" and leave gradually over the next 60 days, beginning in the "next several days, or first couple of weeks".
"But there is a lot to do in these 60 days," Hochstein said in the interview.
"The Lebanese army cannot deploy that many forces that quickly all across the south when they haven't been there in such a long time," he said, noting Lebanese armed forces will move in as Israeli troops depart.
"What we don't want is a repeat of 2006 when the war ended and there was no implementation of the deal, which brought us to the war that we had this year," he said.
09:48 Israel’s assault on Gaza continues, with at least four people reported killed in an attack on the Al-Tabin school shelter for displaced persons in Gaza City.
Among those killed in the Israeli airstrikes was journalist Alaa Fawzi Barhoum.
Earlier, at approximately 4:30 am, Israeli occupation forces launched an assault on the Awni Al-Harthani shelter in northern Gaza, marking the beginning of a violent operation that lasted for two and a half hours.
The occupation forces fired five rockets, followed by heavy drones and intense gunfire. One military vehicle positioned itself at the school gate, using loudspeakers to order those inside the shelter to exit immediately.
Women and children were ordered to leave the shelter and head toward Kamal Adwan Hospital via Beit Lahiya Street. Later, men were also called out, arrested, and taken to an undisclosed location.
09:23 Streams of cars carrying people displaced from southern Lebanon by Israeli attacks have begun heading south despite warnings from the Israeli army against civilians returning home.
Israeli forces fired five artillery shells near the Fatima Gate in the town of Kafr Kela, southern Lebanon, in an attempt to intimidate displaced Lebanese trying to return to their village, according to media reports.
09:05 Iran’s Foreign Ministry has "welcomed the news of the cessation of the Israeli onslaught in Lebanon."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated Iran’s “firm support for the Lebanese government, nation, and resistance” following the recent implementation of the ceasefire.
Baghaei highlighted Iran's longstanding position on the necessity of an immediate halt to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, detailing the country's extensive diplomatic efforts over the past 14 months to achieve this goal.
09:00 As the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect, Lebanon's army announced its readiness to deploy in the country's south to "carry out its mission" under the framework of UN Resolution 1701, in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In a statement, the army urged residents of front-line cities and villages to delay their return until the Israeli army completes its withdrawal.
Meanwhile, citizens in other regions were cautioned to stay alert for "unexploded ordnance and suspicious objects" left behind by Israeli forces.
Lebanese Minister of Public Works said efforts are underway to restore and reopen the Masnaa border crossing with Syria, which was closed due to Israeli raids.
Lebanese authorities confirmed that the Israeli army bombed all three of the country’s border crossings with Syria before the ceasefire took effect, killing at least one volunteer with the Syrian Red Crescent.
In the hours leading to this ceasefire, the Israeli army stepped up air strikes across Lebanon and, in particular, on central Beirut.
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