The truce began Wednesday, bringing a fragile peace to Israel and Lebanon. Israeli troops are to withdraw in phases from southern Lebanon, and Lebanese military convoys headed south to protect the peace.

The cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah reached this week has revived hopes that a peace deal to end the longer, even more destructive war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip could soon be within grasp.

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.

The cease-fire is intended to halt more than a year of fighting with the Hezbollah militia and could help defuse a broader regional crisis.

Despite the optimism, many elements of the cease-fire proposal — which came about after vigorous negotiations brokered by the U.S. and France — remain unclear.

The cease-fire deal is set to stop fighting for 60 days between Israel and Hezbollah. Regional neighbors hope it will lead to a wider de-escalation.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri reprised his role as a key interlocutor between Hezbollah and the United States as Washington sought to mediate an end to the war with Israel, drawing on decades of experience to help clinch the deal.