ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
An agreement that ends the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and Lebanon appears to be holding on its first day. And for the first time in months, things were relatively quiet on both sides of the border, although, to the south, war still rages on between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. For more, we are joined by NPR's Kat Lonsdorf in Tel Aviv. Hi, Kat.
KAT LONSDORF, BYLINE: Hey, Ari.
SHAPIRO: What can you tell us about the details of this ceasefire in the north?
LONSDORF: Well, neither side has been public with the details yet, but NPR was able to get a copy of the agreement, which we then verified with one of the signatories. Basically, the ceasefire is an agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government. It's brokered by the United States and France, saying that Israeli forces will retreat from Lebanon as long as the Lebanese government keeps Hezbollah out of the south and keeps the group from reestablishing arms and infrastructure. It gives 60 days to put that plan into action. It also says that both Israel and Lebanon have the right to self-defense should the ceasefire be broken.
You know, this agreement was based largely on a U.N. resolution which was supposed to resolve the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. It leaves securing the south to the Lebanese army, which, remember, is different than Hezbollah, and also the U.N. peacekeeping groups which have already been in the area.
SHAPIRO: So as we said, it took effect just before dawn. How's it been going?
LONSDORF: Well, like you said, it's definitely been quieter here in Israel. You know, usually, there are dozens of sirens, especially in the north, by now every day to warn of incoming Hezbollah rockets or drones. But today there have been none at all. I actually can't remember a day that that's happened in the months and months that I've been here. And on the Lebanese side, Israeli airstrikes have stopped. That's after Israel bombarded the south, and especially Beirut, very hard last night, killing dozens of people.
There was an incident a few hours into the ceasefire, where Israel says its troops opened fire toward Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, in a border village. It didn't seem to prompt any larger-scale action on either side, though. The ceasefire won't mean that people will necessarily be returning home immediately. Israeli troops are still present in many towns in southern Lebanon. They're withdrawing gradually over several weeks. And Israel has told residents from the north to wait to return so that reconstruction can happen.
SHAPIRO: In another part of the program, we're hearing from NPR's Lauren Frayer, who was in southern Lebanon today, talking to people there. What are you hearing from people in Israel about this deal?
LONSDORF: Well, I think there's some relief, especially for some of the tens of thousands of displaced people from the north. Here's 58-year-old Orna Peretz. She's originally from one of the northernmost towns in Israel, and she's been living in a hotel for more than a year.
ORNA PERETZ: (Speaking Hebrew).
LONSDORF: She says she thinks this is a good deal and that she plans to go back home when she can. Others are a bit more skeptical. Like I said, this is based off a resolution meant to end the war in 2006, and now we're back in a similar situation, so many here think that it will just happen again, and the ceasefire won't hold. Most of the mayors in the north are against the deal. They don't think enough has been done to make people feel safe enough to come back home, which was a main objective in the war for Israel.
SHAPIRO: So that's the view from the Israel-Lebanon border. Meanwhile, even as that ceasefire is happening, the war in Gaza is still continuing.
LONSDORF: Mmm hmm, yeah.
SHAPIRO: What's the reaction in Gaza to this?
LONSDORF: Our producer there, Anas Baba - he's in central Gaza right now, and he spoke to some people for us. Here's 34-year-old Wala Hanuna.
WALA HANUNA: (Speaking Arabic).
LONSDORF: She says she feels forgotten. Hezbollah had originally said that they wouldn't agree to a ceasefire until there was one for Gaza, too, and now she worries one will never come for them. Also, the situation in Gaza is so dire right now. Winter is setting in, and the rains have started. The U.N. says hunger has hit a critical level across all of Gaza, and Israeli airstrikes are killing people daily. Many are just overwhelmed and exhausted.
SHAPIRO: That is NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reporting from Tel Aviv. Thank you.
LONSDORF: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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