Israel has imposed a last-minute curfew forbidding any Lebanese from crossing into the south of the country.
Starting in the early hours of this morning, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a 60-day pause halting a conflict that has killed thousands in Lebanon and displaced many more.
At 2.30pm UK time (4.30pm locally), Israel’s Arab spokesperson warned movement south of the Litani River in Lebanon is “absolutely forbidden” – starting in half an hour.
“Whoever is north of the Litani River is prohibited from moving south. Whoever is south of the Litani River must remain where he is,” the statement added.
“We remind you that the IDF is still deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and our forces will deal firmly with any movement that violates this agreement.”
The ceasefire deal, published by Lebanon’s cabinet, marks an area delineated by a red line labelled “New 2024 line” running east-west across the country.
This area – mostly along the Litani River before diverging slightly north and covering the south of the country – must remain free of Hezbollah weapons, according to the deal.
The terms stipulate only “official military and security forces” in Lebanon are authorised to carry arms, with the foreign minister saying it could deploy at least 5,000 troops.
If Israel believes Hezbollah has violated the terms, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they have the right to attack, though Lebanese and Hezbollah officials reportedly claim otherwise.
The deal expects Hezbollah forces to leave their positions in southern Lebanon and retreat north of the Litani River, US President Joe Biden said.
Israel will withdraw its forces from Lebanon over a period of 60 days, he added, as the Lebanese army takes control of the area to ensure Hezbollah does not rebuild there.
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5:57
Biden announcing ceasefire
Around an hour after the truce started, Reuters reported streams of cars were already heading to south Lebanon.
Within Israel, there was significant opposition to the ceasefire, with a poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 12 TV station finding 37% were in favour of the ceasefire and 32% against.
In Lebanon, people cheered on the streets as the truce was confirmed.
Gunfire was also heard in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Beirut after the ceasefire began – it was not clear if it was celebratory.
Dark clouds hang over Middle East
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been agreed, to celebrations in Lebanon but scepticism in Israel.
Lebanese people are finally looking forward to some calm after months of heavy bombardment in the capital Beirut and across the country.
An estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced and many towns and villages heavily damaged.
But a snap poll for one Israeli news channel found only 37% of Israelis are in favour of the deal. Not everyone in the Israeli cabinet was supportive either.
Itamar Ben-Gvir describes it as “a historic mistake” but did not threaten to withdraw his party from government. He was the one person who voted against the truce.
So what have those critics extracted from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in return for their support? Some have recently been pushing for Israeli occupation of Gaza or annexation of the West Bank.
The concern in Israel largely centres on enforcement and doubts that Hezbollah will stay true to the terms of the deal.
As long as the hostages remain in Gaza, however, and the humanitarian crisis there worsens with the onset of winter rains and lack of aid, the dark clouds will continue to hang over the Middle East.
On Wednesday morning, IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee had urged people not to return to their homes in south Lebanon, saying Israeli forces were still deployed there.
He claimed they were “prohibited” from going back to areas the IDF had asked people to evacuate previously.
The ceasefire will be monitored by an international panel led by the US, along with thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers deployed around the border.
Donald Trump has criticised Vladimir Putin and suggested a shift in his stance towards the Russian president after a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the Pope’s funeral.
The Ukrainian president said the one-on-one talks could prove to be “historic” after pictures showed him sitting opposite Mr Trump, around two feet apart, in the large marble hall inside St Peter’s Basilica.
The US president said he doubted his Russian counterpart’s willingness to end the war after leaving Rome after the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said “there was no reason” for the Russian president “to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days”.
Image: The two leaders held talks before attending the Pope’s funeral
He added: “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
The meeting between the US and Ukrainian leaders was their first face-to-face encounter since a very public row in the Oval Office in February.
Mr Zelenskyy said he had a good meeting with Mr Trump in which they talked about the defence of the Ukrainian people, a full and unconditional ceasefire, and a durable and lasting peace that would prevent the war restarting.
Other images released by the Ukrainian president’s office show Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were present for part of the talks, which were described as “positive” by the French presidency.
Mr Zelenskyy‘s spokesman said the meeting lasted for around 15 minutes and he and Mr Trump had agreed to hold further discussions later on Saturday.
Image: The world leaders shared a moment before the service
Image: Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Basilica
But the US president left Rome for Washington on Air Force One soon after the funeral without any other talks having taken place.
The Ukrainian president’s office said there was no second meeting in Rome because of the tight schedule of both leaders, although he had separate discussions with Mr Starmer and Mr Macron.
The French president said in a post on X “Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire” and that a so-called coalition of the willing, led by the UK and France, would continue working to achieve a lasting peace.
There was applause from some of the other world leaders in attendance at the Vatican when Mr Zelenskyy walked out of St Peter’s Basilica after stopping in front of the pontiff’s coffin to pay his respects.
Image: Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president met for the first time since their Oval Office row. Pic: Reuters
Sir Tony Brenton, the former British ambassador to Russia, said the event presents diplomatic opportunities, including the “biggest possible meeting” between Mr Trump and the Ukrainian leader.
He told Sky News it could mark “an important step” in starting the peace process between Russia and Ukraine.
Professor Father Francesco Giordano told Sky News the meeting is being called “Pope Francis’s miracle” by members of the clergy, adding: “There’s so many things that happened today – it was just overwhelming.”
The bilateral meeting comes after Mr Trump’s peace negotiator Steve Witkoff held talks with Mr Putin at the Kremlin.
They discussed “the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine”, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
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On an extraordinary day, remarkable pictures on the margins that capture what may be a turning point for the world.
In a corner of St Peter’s Basilica before the funeral of Pope Francis, the leaders of America and Ukraine sit facing each other in two solitary chairs.
They look like confessor and sinner except we cannot tell which one is which.
In another, the Ukrainian president seems to be remonstrating with the US president. This is their first encounter since their infamous bust-up in the Oval Office.
Image: The two leaders held talks before attending the Pope’s funeral
Other pictures show the moment their French and British counterparts introduced the two men. There is a palpable sense of nervousness in the way the leaders engage.
We do not know what the two presidents said in their brief meeting.
But in the mind of the Ukrainian leader will be the knowledge President Trump has this week said America will reward Russia for its unprovoked brutal invasion of his country, under any peace deal.
Mr Trump has presented Ukraine and Russia with a proposal and ultimatum so one-sided it could have been written in the Kremlin.
Kyiv must surrender the land Russia has taken by force, Crimea forever, the rest at least for now. And it must submit to an act of extortion, a proposed deal that would hand over half its mineral wealth effectively to America.
Image: The world leaders shared a moment before the service
Afterwards, Zelenskyy said it had been a good meeting that could turn out to be historic “if we reach results together”.
They had talked, he said, about the defence of Ukraine, a full and unconditional ceasefire and a durable and lasting peace that will prevent a war restarting.
The Trump peace proposal includes only unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine from countries that do not include the US. It rules out any membership of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s allies are watching closely to see if Mr Trump will apply any pressure on Vladimir Putin, let alone punish him for recent bloody attacks on Ukraine.
Or will he simply walk away if the proposal fails, blaming Ukrainian intransigence, however outrageously, before moving onto a rapprochement with Moscow.
If he does, America’s role as guarantor of international security will be seen effectively as over.
This could be the week we see the world order as we have known it since the end of the Second World War buried, as well as a pope.