Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem announced on Friday that the group had agreed to a ceasefire deal with Israel, which came into effect on Wednesday after more than a year of fighting that caused significant destruction in Lebanon and resulted in 4,000 deaths, Reuters reports.
Qassem declared that Hezbollah had achieved a “divine victory” against Israel, stronger than the one claimed after the 2006 conflict, and warned that those who expected Hezbollah to be weakened were mistaken. He asserted that Hezbollah had agreed to the ceasefire “with heads held high” and emphasized that the group had defended itself successfully and negotiated from a position of strength.
The ceasefire agreement calls for Hezbollah to withdraw from areas south of the Litani River, with Lebanese army troops being deployed to replace them as Israeli forces withdraw within 60 days. However, implementation has faced challenges, with accusations of ceasefire violations by both sides, including recent Israeli airstrikes.
