Lebanon awoke to a ceasefire on Wednesday as Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia halted fighting, with displaced residents returning home despite warnings that a new outbreak of violence could erupt from any breaches of the agreement.

A ceasefire deal that could end more than a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group won backing from Israeli leaders Tuesday, raising hopes and renewing difficult questions in a region gripped by conflict.

Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorists began a ceasefire Wednesday in a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting. The 60-day ceasefire took effect Wednesday at 4 a.m. Tel Aviv time. It interrupts a war that Hezbollah started on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas in Gaza attacked communities in southern Israel.