A cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah brokered by the U.S. and France took effect in Lebanon early Wednesday, raising hopes of ending more than a year of cross-border strikes and a full-scale war that has killed thousands.

The agreement halts fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for 60 days, as negotiators aim to stop Lebanon’s deadliest war in decades.

Israel launched an offensive in Lebanon in mid-September following months of tit-for-tat border attacks sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.

Approval from Israeli ministers, in a 10 to 1 vote, came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embraced the proposal in a televised speech. Just hours earlier, Israeli forces had pounded the heart of Beirut and Hezbollah-dominated neighborhoods with some of the heaviest airstrikes of the war.

The deal to halt Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a victory for negotiators after weeks of intense talks, went into effect Wednesday morning.

For many across the Middle East, the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire came as a relief: the first major sign of progress in the region since war began more than a year ago

A ceasefire proposal agreed to by Lebanon and Israel stipulates that only "official military and security forces" in Lebanon are authorised to carry arms in the country, according to a copy of the deal dated on Tuesday and seen by Reuters on Wednesday.