Israel and Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon that is set to begin at 4 p.m. local time on Friday, according to a senior U.S. official cited by Reuters and repeated by multiple outlets. The announcement comes after renewed exchanges of fire earlier in the day and an escalation in southern Lebanon reported overnight Thursday, including Israeli strikes that killed at least 18 people, according to one outlet.
Reuters reports that the ceasefire is worked out with negotiations involving the United States and Qatar, with assistance from Iran. Several reports state the deal is tied to broader regional diplomatic efforts and that Iran has urged conditions for talks to continue.
An Israeli source reported by the Jerusalem Post says Israel will pause attacking Hezbollah for the time being, framing the strikes as the full response to recent Hezbollah drone attacks. Other coverage notes that while the ceasefire is agreed, it remains fragile, with accounts that military activity may continue around the scheduled start and that attacks were reported close to the planned ceasefire time.
The reports also include comments by Israeli leadership warning of consequences if Hezbollah violates the ceasefire.
