There was celebratory gunfire on the streets of Lebanon’s capital of Beirut as a ceasefire between the country’s militant group Hezbollah was reached with Israel. But how the newly-brokered deal will hold up and shake out for the wider region remains to be seen.
For the first time in more than a year, there is a peace of sorts on the Israel-Lebanon border, but there are still huge questions about whether it can hold and what it means more broadly for the region.
The ceasefire is in its infancy as it came into effect at 4am local time.
On the streets of Beirut, there was celebratory gunfire as the deal was welcomed – and there is reason for optimism that it will succeed.
Over the last few months, Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah has been severely degraded.
Latest updates from the Middle East
Much of its arsenal has been destroyed and its leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah, eliminated.
Hezbollah had miscalculated it would be able to fight a limited war against Israel in solidarity with Hamas, the militant group ruling Gaza, without suffering major consequences.
For Hezbollah, the ceasefire is now a chance to lick its wounds and live another day – to carry on fighting would potentially put its survival in jeopardy.
And Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has made clear the ceasefire allows his nation’s exhausted forces to recover and rearm, with the country also now able to focus on the threat from Iran.
But how the ceasefire is implemented still remains a vexatious issue.
Many Israelis from the evacuated northern communities feel they have seen this all before.