Israel-Lebanon ceasefire latest: Hamas ‘ready’ for own truce as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire begins
Israel warns evacuated residents of Lebanon to not head home yet
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Your support makes all the difference.Waves of people are returning to their homes in southern Lebanon despite warnings from Israeli and Lebanese military to hold off after a breakthrough ceasefire was struck between Israel and Hezbollah.
“This is a moment of victory, pride and honor for us, the Shia sect, and for all of Lebanon,” said Hussein Sweidan, a resident returning to the southern city of Tyre, one of the areas bombed by Israel on Tuesday.
But the mood was different in Israel, where many people believe the ceasefire is not strong enough and are hesitant to return to communities in the country’s north.
The Hamas group says it is ready to reach a ceasefire in Gaza with Israel after the truce between Benjamin Netanyahu and the Iran-backed militant group began early on Wednesday.
“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” a senior official of Hamas told AFP.
US president Joe Biden on Tuesday said Washington will push for a ceasefire in Gaza in the coming days and secure the release of hostages.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon began a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict, killing at least 42 people across the country.
Celebratory gunshots in Beirut after Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire brokered
Gunshots were heard in Beirut, Lebanon, in the early hours of Wednesday (27 November) in an apparent celebration at the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Footage showed smoke rising from the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes fired before the ceasefire took hold at 4am local time on Wednesday.
US president Joe Biden, who brokered the deal and spoke to Israel and Lebanon’s leaders shortly after it was announced, said the ceasefire was designed to be permanent.
Lebanese celebrations in pictures
Droves of people are returning to their homes in Lebanon, with the streets filled with traffic and residents of bombed out areas celebrating, and waving flags. Here are the images from the ground following the breakthrough ceasefire.
Celebrations in Lebanon, while many Israelis subdued
Sporadic gunfire was heard at a main roundabout in the Lebanese southern coastal city of Tyre, where Israeli jets had struck on Tuesday, as returning residents honked their car horns and others cheered.
“This is a moment of victory, pride and honor for us, the Shia sect, and for all of Lebanon,” said Hussein Sweidan, a resident returning to Tyre.
He said the ceasefire as a victory for Hezbollah.
But the mood was different in Israel, where many people believe the ceasefire is not strong enough.
“I think it is still not safe to return to our homes because Hezbollah is still close to us,” said Eliyahu Maman, an Israeli displaced from the northern Israeli city of Kyriat Shmona, which has been hit hard by the months of fighting.
Waves of Lebanese return home despite warnings
Waves of Lebanese people have begun to return to their homes in the south of the country despite warnings from the Israeli military to hold off.
Israel’s Arabic military spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned displaced Lebanese not to return to their villages, while the The Lebanese military asked displaced people returning to southern Lebanon to avoid frontline villages and towns near the border, where Israeli troops are still present.
However, videos circulating on social media show Lebanese returning to villages in the south near the coastal city of Tyre, one of the areas bombarded by Israeli jets on Tuesday.
Thousands of people have already begun driving south on the highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon, with their belongings and mattresses tied on top of their cars.
Traffic was gridlocked at the northern entrance of the port city of Sidon.
Israeli strikes have left Lebanon with £6.7bn in damages
Israel’s strikes on Lebanon targeting Hezbollah have left the country with damages worth an estimated £6.7bn, according to the Associated Press.
At least 100,000 homes have been destroyed in Lebanon, while in Israel around 5,683 acres of land have burned.
Israel’s attacks have killed more than 3,800 people in Lebanon and forced 1.2 million to flee their homes, the country’s health ministry said.
Hezbollah’s missile strikes have killed more than 80 Israeli soldiers and 47 civilians in Israel.
Gunfire heard across Beirut as ceasefire takes effect
Bursts of gunfire could be heard across Beirut after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect this morning.
It was not immediately clear if the shooting was celebratory, as gunfire had also been used to alert residents who may have missed evacuation warnings issued by Israel’s military.
Streams of cars began heading to southern Lebanon, which borders Israel, after the ceasefire, Reuters reported.
The ceasefire promises to end a conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war last year.
In pics: Lebanese citizens reclaim streets as ceasefire takes effect
Hamas ‘ready’ for a ceasefire with Israel in Gaza
The Hamas group says it is ready to reach a ceasefire in Gaza with Israel following a truce between Benjamin Netanyahu and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” a senior official of Hamas told AFP.
US president Joe Biden on Tuesday said over the coming days Washington will “make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza – with the hostages released and the end of the war without Hamas in power”.
Xi Jinping urges Gaza ceasefire
Chinese president Xi Jinping has reportedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza during his visit to the Brazilian capital.
Mr Xi expressed concerns about the spread of the conflict in Gaza, and “called for a ceasefire and an end to the war at an early date,” according to state-run Xinhua news agency.
Lebanese army preparing to deploy south
Lebanon’s army this morning said it is preparing to deploy to the south of the country, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect.
The army also asked residents of border villages to delay returning home until the Israeli military withdraws.
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