A U.S.-backed cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, halting the deadliest war in Lebanon in decades. Fighting continued up to the 11th hour, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that Israel would strike again if the Lebanese militant group violated the deal. Both sides warned displaced residents not to return to southern areas under Israeli evacuation orders, but many did not take heed. A senior Biden administration official told The Washington Post that Israeli troops would hold their positions and not immediately withdraw. The deal is due to stop fighting for an initial two-month window, and is intended as “a permanent cessation of hostilities,” President Joe Biden said in an address.
