A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect early Wednesday morning, after the Israeli and Lebanese governments approved a U.S. proposal to halt the fighting in a truce that President Biden called a permanent cessation of hostilities.

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.

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.