Reports of cars heading south inside Lebanon despite Israeli army warning displaced residents not to return home immediately
A highly anticipated ceasefire aimed at ending the 14-month-old war between Israel and Hezbollah officially came into effect early on Wednesday morning, hours after Joe Biden hailed the “historic” moment.
The ceasefire officially began at 0200 GMT – 4am in Lebanon – after the heaviest day of raids on Beirut, including a series of strikes in the city’s centre, since Israel stepped up its air campaign in Lebanon in late September before sending in ground troops.
By 7am in Lebanon there were no immediate reports of alleged violations of the truce. Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Israeli army warned soon after the ceasefire began that residents of south Lebanon should not approach Israel Defense Forces positions and villages its forces had ordered to be evacuated.
“With the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement and based on its provisions, the IDF remains deployed in its positions inside southern Lebanon,” army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.
“You are prohibited from heading towards the villages that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated or towards IDF forces in the area.”
However, Reuters reporters saw dozens of cars leaving the port city of Sidon south of Beirut around 4am local time and heading deeper into southern Lebanon.
Ahmad Husseini said returning to southern Lebanon was an “indescribable feeling” and praised speaker of parliament Nabih Berri, who led Lebanon’s negotiations with Washington. “He made us and everyone proud.”
Husseini, who earlier fled a town near the coastal city, spoke to The Associated Press while in his car with family members.
Iran on Wednesday welcomed the end of Israel’s “aggression” in Lebanon. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement, stressed Iran’s “firm support for the Lebanese government, nation and resistance”.
