Israel Lifts Restrictions In Northern Israel As Ceasefire Holds; Hezbollah Chief Claims 'Victory'

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire began four days ago and has held, allowing tens of thousands of Israelis to return to their homes in the north to assess the situation. The IDF Home Front Command announced the easing of restrictions in northern Israel, including the reopening of schools and larger gatherings, as the ceasefire continues to hold. Over 80,000 Israelis had been displaced by daily Hezbollah rocket and drone fire in the north. The 60-day US and French-brokered ceasefire has been viewed as off to a successful start, ending over 14 months of cross-border fire between Iran-linked Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Despite the assassinations of its upper-tier leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah, the new head of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, claimed 'victory' in the war and pledged that the ceasefire deal with Israel will be upheld. Hezbollah leadership had agreed to the deal "with heads held high with our right to defend [ourselves]." A Reuters report claimed that Hezbollah lost 4,000 of its fighters, which is a much higher tally than what the Lebanese government lists. The death and destruction surpasses even the 2006 Lebanon war, which up till this year was the deadliest on Lebanese soil in the last several decades.