Politics

A ceasefire began in Lebanon, scheduled to last initially for 60 days. Israeli forces and those of Hizbullah, a Shia militia backed by Iran, will gradually withdraw from a buffer zone south of the Litani river. A five-country committee led by the United States and France will oversee the process. Joe Biden said he hoped the breakthrough would lead to peace in Gaza, and in the wider region. Lebanese officials said more than 3,800 citizens had been killed by Israeli bombardments; Israel said it had lost 82 soldiers and 47 civilians.