JERUSALEM, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday local time (2100 GMT), following an earlier announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The truce aims to end more than a month of deadly escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, which has claimed over 2,000 lives.
In a statement, Israel's military said that it struck more than 380 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the past day, including militants, launchers and headquarters.
Israel's rescue service Magen David Adom claimed that Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel during the final hours before the ceasefire went into effect, resulting in three injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a videotaped statement that Israel will maintain a 10-km security zone in southern Lebanon during the ceasefire period.
He cited security needs, rejected withdrawal, and highlighted a historic opportunity for peace between Israel and Lebanon, alongside a demand to disarm Hezbollah. ■
