A senior U.S. official told Reuters that Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire set to take effect at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Friday.
“We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” the official added.
The agreement followed a sharp escalation in hostilities overnight in Lebanon.
“Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire,” the official said, noting that negotiations led by the United States and Qatar, with Iranian assistance, paved the way for the agreement.
The surge in hostilities in Lebanon put pressure on the interim accord between the United States and Iran reached on Wednesday to halt the Middle East war.
Earlier, a Hezbollah lawmaker told Reuters that Tehran had explained to the group that negotiations with Washington would remain on hold until a comprehensive ceasefire was first put in place.
The Lebanese Health Ministry announced that Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon overnight killed at least 18 people. Meanwhile, four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon in one of Hezbollah’s deadliest attacks since the war began.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead and triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah launched a series of attacks to support its ally, Tehran. As a result, Israel has launched an extensive military campaign that has since killed more than 3000 people.
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