International pressure is on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, to maintain the peace

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.

Israel’s military said the cease-fire in Lebanon had taken effect Wednesday morning, raising hopes of a period of calm after two months of intense aerial bombardments and ground operations.The deal, which was hammered out between Israel and Lebanon by the U.