the deal was announced by us presidentjoe biden, hailing the agreement as a pathway to wider peace. sol so i applaud the crazy decision made by the leaders of israel and lebanon to end the violence. it reminds us that peaceis violence. it reminds us that peace is possible. hello. i'm sally bundock. you i'm sally bundock. are with bbc news. a ceasefire between israel and the lebanese—based militant group hezbollah has come into force which brings a potential end to over a year of intense fighting and aerial assaults that has left thousands dead and many more displaced. we're looking at live pictures of the skyline over beirut which has seen intense bombardment on a daily basis as israel tried to

dismantle hezbollah. in the hours leading up to the deadline, there was no let up from the israeli military as it continued to hit parts of beirut�*s southern suburbs shortly after issuing an evacuation order. we can also look at live pictures from southern lebanon, which has seen some of the heaviest exchanges of fire on both sides. vehicles are returning to the region where thousands of people evacuate. so here is the outline of the deal, which was effective from 4am local time. hezbollah will withdraw its forces from southern lebanon, moving around 30 kilometres back from the israeli border, north of the litani river. in turn there will be a �*phrased withdrawal�* of israeli troops from southern lebanon, which they invaded two month ago, in response to almost a year of hezbollah

rocket attacks. they will be replaced by the regular lebanese army, alongside an existing un force that is already there, known as unifil. the agreement is not too dissimilar to the deal agreed to end the war in 2006, under the un resolution 1701. any potential violations of the ceasefire will be directed to the united states, who helped broker the deal. speaking to the israeli people in a national address, prime minister benjamin netanyahu said his government would approve the deal, and outlined his reasons for doing so. translation: so, why go into a ceasefire now? - there are three main reasons. the first is to focus on the iranian threat, and i will not expand on that.

the second reason is to give our forces a breather, and allow them to replenish stocks. it is no secret that there have been big delays in weapons and munitions deliveries. this delay is going to be removed. we're going to have advanced weapons and it will save lives of our soldiers and will give us great force to complete our missions. another third reason for the ceasefire is to disconnect the two arenas and isolate us. since the second day of the war a mass relied on hezbollah to fight alongside, with hezbollah outside of the picture held mass will be left on its own. —— out of the picture. a mass.

they will see many tens of thousands returning safely to their homes in the region. lucy williamson has been to northern israel to speak to some of those who had to leave. sirens wail in northern israel, sirens warned of rockets, as residents warned of surrender. israel's pounding of lebanon continued, hours before the ceasefire was announced. these two left their home in kfar giladi on the 8th of october last year. the lebanese villages they lived alongside clearly visible through the border fence. i hope for a day where we could, you know, be at peace with each other. and i think that trust was broken when our army found the tunnels and the ammunition and all of these preparations to effectively come and, you know, massacre us.

their house and community — empty for more than a year. i'm sorry about the mess. it'sjust, we put everything inside. a ceasefire deal is meant to get them permanently back home, but it could mean their lebanese neighbours returning too. apart from completely erasing these villages and having no people here, there is no real physical thing that can make me feel safe. it's just, you know... hope. israel's leader has achieved many of his war goals in lebanon. these lebanese border villages now empty, controlled by israeli forces. but there are also compelling domestic reasons for ending this war, like getting residents on this side of the border back home. israel's forces are tired and its economy is suffering. but hezbollah, damaged but intact, is still fighting. and some ask why their prime

minister, fighting a much weaker enemy in gaza, is signing a ceasefire in the north. lucy williamson, bbc news, northern israel. the ceasefire deal was brokered by the united states and its allies. after confirming its details in a speech outside the white house, us presidentjoe biden said it shows peace is possible, in what he called the "deadliest conflict in decades." let me be clear. if hezbollah or anyone else breaks the deal and poses a direct threat to israel then israel return —— retains the right to self defence consistent with international law, just like any country when facing at terrorist group pledged to that country's destruction. at the same time the steel supports lebanon's sovereignty, so it heralds a new start for lebanon and so a applaud the decision

to end the violence. it reminds us that peace is possible. i said that again, peace is possible. let's speak to our north america correspondent peter bowes. 0h imagine forthe 0h imagine for the president he was very happy to be saying those words "peace is possible" in the final days he is in office. �* . �* , in the final days he is in office. �* . v . office. and that's a significant. - office. and that's a significant. it - office. and that's a significant. it is - office. and that's a | significant. it is the office. and that's a - significant. it is the final few days, the final few weeks of president biden in the white house. this is generally being seen as a success for him. clearly there is a long way to go with this, we will see what happens over the next 60 days. we know now that these negotiations, quite intense negotiations, quite intense negotiations involving the pentagon, the state department, the white house, and, of course, officials from lebanon and israel have been going on for several months now, interestingly, behind the

scenes, but quietly during the final stages of the american election campaign and seem to have come to a head at meetings in the middle east last week involving the us special envoy, resulting in what we have just heard from joe biden, this announcement about the ceasefire that will go on over the next two months. it will be a very sensitive time, there will be plenty of monitoring to see any notices will be the centre of that to ensure the ceasefire adheres to the agreement on both sides and you can be sure that israel will be watching very closely what happens on the ground and there will be a 5—nation committee, including france and the united states, looking over the process of this period of time just to make sure that there are no violations that need to be verified.— be verified. and as far as the incoming _ be verified. and as far as the incoming president, - be verified. and as far as the incoming president, donald i incoming president, donald trump, is concerned, they and

their team are also commenting on this, aren't they, in terms of the progress being made as if to imply that his re—election helped to give it momentum. re-election helped to give it momentum-— re-election helped to give it momentum. , ., , , momentum. yes. there does seem to be this implication _ momentum. yes. there does seem to be this implication that - to be this implication that donald trump believes that his success in the american election just a few weeks ago is something to do with the fact there now seems to be a movement towards peace in the middle east. clearly donald trump was not part of these negotiations, but his team have made it known, his transition team have made it known that they are in agreement, they support what we have seen unfold over the last few months hours and, of course, significantly, 20 january next year he will be the present. he will have to pick up wherejoe biden leaves off and i think we have seen over the last few months hours and what we are likely to follow in the coming weeks is significant for donald trump because it will put the middle east right at the top of certainly his international

agenda and remains to be seen, we haven't really heard any detail but we have heard plenty of promises from donald trump in terms of how he plans to bring peace not only to the middle east but the hotspots around the world.— around the world. peter, for now, around the world. peter, for now. thank _ around the world. peter, for now, thank you _ around the world. peter, for now, thank you very - around the world. peter, for now, thank you very much i now, thank you very much indeed. peter bowes, our north america car is funded there. just imagine, we are getting news breaking on the wires, this is from the syrian state news agency that is saying six people have been killed, including two soldiers in an israeli attack on border crossings between syria and lebanon. this is in hommes countryside. with me is said shehata from bbc arabic. of course this ceasefire is now in place, it lasts for 60 days, there are notjust make a lot of nerves about what might happen that time, whether it may hold. happen that time, whether it may hold-— may hold. there are mixed reactions — may hold. there are mixed reactions from _ may hold. there are mixed reactions from people, - may hold. there are mixed l reactions from people, some from lebanon saying they are

suspicious of israel to be committed to that, on the israeli side there are those saying you should get the job done and get hezbollah and in the future, there are other people who celebrated that because they're going back to their homes. still, you know, some people already moved from the south of lebanon even though israel warned them not to go. they never see my knothole because hezbollah is supporting hamas in gaza and in this case if there is an attack on israel in this case, it will be seen as betraying hamas and would put pressure on hezbollah but hezbollah is in a week position after the assassination of his commander. the nerves are whether it holds or not and it is a problem. find or not and it is a problem. and lookin: or not and it is a problem. and looking at _ or not and it is a problem. and looking at the _ or not and it is a problem. and looking at the terms _ or not and it is a problem. and looking at the terms of this agreement, of course, we took weeks and weeks of negotiation,

on what basis can israel attack again? on what basis can israel attack auain? , ~ ~ again? they said, like, mr nazir the _ again? they said, like, mr nazir the prime _ again? they said, like, mr nazir the prime minister l again? they said, like, mr. nazir the prime minister said any strike from hezbollah they will strike back, if there is any regrouping of hezbollah weapons and infrastructure in the areas they are going to withdraw from there will be an israeli strike, israel in self—defense, as he said, the prime minister, can do that. but i think hezbollah is not going to do that in the near future because it is weakened and there is pressure from lebanon, the international community, so the entity, the party is starting the violation of the agreement. so there is pressure to do that and is pressure to do that and is pressure on israel. matt mould for the time being, but will it hold for longer? this is the challenge stop talk through what's happening in gaza now. there is new momentum in terms of peace talks there. haifa

there is new momentum in terms of peace talks there.— of peace talks there. now the front of lebanon. _ of peace talks there. now the front of lebanon. , _ of peace talks there. now the front of lebanon. , the - of peace talks there. now the front of lebanon. , the focus | front of lebanon. , the focus on gaza and pressure from outside parties and there are some new members, turkey and egyptin some new members, turkey and egypt in the united states doing the negotiation, no strikes from hezbollah against israel, and my put pressure on hamas. we can put it into a wider context, after elon musk, one of mr trump's administrator members, he met with the iranian ambassador of the un, there might be talk about kind of like negotiation between iran and the united states. it might like have an effect on supporting, it might help to reactivate the resumption of the negotiation to end the misery of the people in gaza because more than a4,000 people killed, the misery of the humanitarian situation in northern gaza, so there is pressure and momentum so it

might help to open in southern negotiation again. {lita might help to open in southern negotiation again.— negotiation again. 0k, thank ou negotiation again. 0k, thank you again — negotiation again. 0k, thank you again for _ negotiation again. 0k, thank you again forjoining - negotiation again. 0k, thank you again forjoining us - negotiation again. 0k, thank you again forjoining us in . negotiation again. 0k, thank| you again forjoining us in the studio with your thoughts on what is happening, the latest developments. let's speak to alon pinkas, former israeli diplomat. welcome to bbc news. the ceasefire has begun. in your opinion, is this the right step forward or not?— opinion, is this the right step forward or not? good morning, sall . forward or not? good morning, sally- it's _ forward or not? good morning, sally. it's the _ forward or not? good morning, sally. it's the right _ forward or not? good morning, sally. it's the right step, - forward or not? good morning, sally. it's the right step, but i sally. it's the right step, but the real test of such a ceasefire is going to be not the details in the agreement, but is it enforceable? and, you know, with these agreements and this is based on the un security council resolution 1701 dating back to august 2006, that is 18 years ago, this is a cut and paste type of agreement, the problem with these agreements is that they are circumstantial. therefore, they are not durable. and if

you look at how it was framed yesterday there are too many moving parts that pertain to be enforcing, meaning, for example, the lebanese army will monitor and supervise movements in lebanon. no—one knows how that will be done. the lebanese military opposes hezbollah, which is that of a state within a state, is going to deployed along major passages of the litani river which is about 30 1537 00:15:33,298 --> 00:15