Summary

  • Thousands of Lebanese civilians are returning to their destroyed homes, hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect

  • The US-brokered ceasefire to end 13 months of fighting began at 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT) and so far appears to be holding

  • "My family spent their lifetime building this. We lived here for 25 years and now it is all gone," a resident of Dahieh, southern Beirut, tells the BBC

  • Israeli troops began a land invasion of Lebanon almost two months ago, in response to almost a year of rocket attacks from Hezbollah

  • The ceasefire in Lebanon will not directly affect Israel's war in Gaza. Hamas officials have reacted positively to the deal, saying they are "ready" for a ceasefire in Gaza

  • It comes as Israel says it will lodge an appeal of the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his former defence minister over alleged war crimes in Gaza

'In one night, everything was gone' - Dahieh resident

Live Reporting

Edited by Jacqueline Howard and Francesca Gillett, with Hugo Bachega and Lina Sinjab in Lebanon and Lucy Williamson in northern Israel

  1. Analysis

    How would any deal be implemented?

    Hugo Bachega
    Middle East correspondent, in Beirut

    A damaged building is pictured through the wreckage of a vehicle, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forcesReuters

    A damaged building is seen in Beirut's southern suburbs

    The details of the agreement remain unclear, and it is not a done deal yet, but one of the key points seems to be how to enforce its implementation.

    The proposal is based on the terms of the United Nations Resolution 1701, which ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

    It requires, among other things, Hezbollah to remove its fighters and weapons from the area south of the Litani River, about 30km (20 miles) from the Blue Line, which is the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel. The resolution was never fully implemented, with both sides alleging violations.

    During the US-led talks, it has been made clear to the Lebanese authorities that the post-2006 situation, in which Hezbollah was allowed to build extensive infrastructure along the border, will not be repeated.

    There will be more international involvement to monitor the implementation of the deal, with the US leading a five-country committee, and the UN peacekeeping force in the south will be reinforced.

    During the 60-day ceasefire, the Lebanese Army is expected to boost its presence in the south. But questions remain about how they will be deployed. The military here has complained that they do not have the resources – money, manpower and equipment – to fulfil their obligations.

    But it is not only about funding, which will probably come from some of Lebanon’s international allies. Will the Lebanese military confront Hezbollah if needed?

    That would put Lebanese against Lebanese, which is always a risk in a country where sectarian divisions run deep. It seems there has been the acceptance by the Lebanese authorities that things must change, a diplomat told me, and there is the political will to do so.

  2. Hezbollah launches rockets at Western Galilee, IDF says

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says Hezbollah launched 10 rockets from Lebanon at Israel's Western Galilee region overnight.

    Some of the rockets were intercepted, while others were detected crashing in the area, the IDF says in a statement on X.

    Two people were injured by shrapnel in the attack in Nahariya, Magen David - Israel’s ambulance service - says. These include a 70-year-old woman, who is in serious condition, and an 80-year-old man, who is in mild condition.

    Hezbollah has yet to comment on the attack.

  3. Israeli military carries out strikes on Syria-Lebanon border

    Meanwhile, as potential ceasefire negotiations are on the horizon in Israel, cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah continued overnight.

    The Israeli military says its warplanes on Monday evening carried out strikes on the Syria-Lebanon border, targeting “transit routes” it says Iran uses to “transfer weapons” to Hezbollah.

    In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says the operation was focused on “thwarting the capabilities of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400”, which it says was responsible for transferring weapons.

    The IDF provided no further details about what targets were hit and whether there were any casualties.

    Hezbollah has yet to comment on the strikes.

    Meanwhile, the Lebanese health ministry says 31 people were killed across the country in Israeli air strikes on Monday.

    It says several cities in Lebanon’s south and south-east were targeted, as well as one in the north-eastern region.

  4. What is included in the potential ceasefire deal

    As we've been reporting, the Israeli cabinet will vote today on a proposal that would see an initial 60-day truce between its military and Hezbollah.

    Under the proposal, Israeli soldiers would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would withdraw fighters and weapons south of the Litani River - which lies about 30km (18 miles) from Lebanon's border with Israel.

    Hezbollah fighters in that area would be replaced by troops from the Lebanese Army.

    Among the details of the agreement are a mutual ceasefire and no Israeli-occupied buffer zone in southern Lebanon, Israel's Channel 12 reports.

    Channel 12 also says Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would maintain a presence in Lebanon for up to 60 days, and the Lebanese government will oversee the purchase and production of weapons in the country as its army replaces the IDF as it withdraws.

    The US would head a five-country committee that would monitor the ceasefire and, the reports say, it would issue a letter recognising Israel's right to attack Lebanon if Hezbollah is perceived to be in violation of the agreement.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to the deal "in principle", the Times of Israel reports. The Lebanese deputy speaker of parliament, Elias Bou Saab, told Reuters that there were "no serious obstacles" to the deal "unless Netanyahu changes his mind".

    A map shows Israel and Lebanon in close up and points out where the Litani River bisects the country of Lebanon - this is in the south of the country, and is where Hezbollah fighters would withdraw from

    Hezbollah would withdraw fighters and weapons south of the Litani River, seen in the south of Lebanon close to its border with Israel

  5. Some of the displaced in Israel's north wary of a potential ceasefire

    Yolande Knell
    Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

    A general view shows Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from northern IsraelReuters

    From northern Israel, a general view shows Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel

    With positive signs from Lebanon and Washington saying a deal is “close”, Israeli media area reporting that the Israeli security cabinet is set to approve a 60-day ceasefire with Hezbollah - but there’s still been no official comment.

    The proposed deal is said to resemble the United Nations Security Council resolution which ended the 2006 war, but with more international support to push the Iran-backed armed group away from the border with Israel and bolster regular Lebanese army troops deploying there when Israeli forces withdraw.

    There’s not full support for the plan in Israel.

    Many of the tens of thousands of Israeli citizens displaced by over a year of fighting with Hezbollah say it won’t make them feel safe enough to return home, and Israel’s far-right security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has said the war should continue until there’s “absolute victory".

  6. Israeli cabinet to discuss potential ceasefire in Lebanon

    Johanna Chisholm
    Live page editor

    We’re starting live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East, after the Israeli military carried out overnight strikes on the border between Lebanon and Syria, and Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel’s north.

    This all comes hours before the Israeli cabinet is set to discuss approval of a 60-day ceasefire to end hostilities with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

    There have been exchanges of fire almost every day since 8 October last year, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel after Hamas launched its attack on Israel from Gaza.

    Fighting between Hezbollah and Israel intensified when Israel launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon almost two months ago.

    We’re going to be following movements throughout the day with the help of our correspondents in Israel and Lebanon.