The Lebanese Army on Thursday urged people not to return to the country's southern villages and towns before a ceasefire with Israel takes effect at midnight local time (2100 GMT), and warned against approaching Israeli forces there.

In a statement, the Army Command also called on citizens to heed instructions of Lebanese soldiers deployed in the south, where Israeli troops have invaded across the border, and to beware of unexploded ordnance and "suspicious objects."

Lebanon and Israel have agreed to observe a 10-day ceasefire that begins at midnight Beirut time, the United States said.

Below is the full text of the statement that was agreed to by the Government of Israel and Government of Lebanon, as published by the U.S. State Department:

An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Ghazieh has killed at least seven people and wounded 33, the health ministry said Thursday, hours before a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries is scheduled to take effect.

Lebanese state media reported a "massacre against civilians" in the town, noting that rubble removal operations are ongoing, while the health ministry said its toll is "preliminary and not final".

Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi told AFP on Thursday that the Lebanese group would respect a ceasefire with Israel announced earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump if Israeli attacks on the militants stopped.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire Thursday, and said he was trying to set up the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries.

President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday during which he thanked the U.S. leader for his "efforts" to secure a ceasefire with Israel, the Lebanese Presidency said.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hussein Hajj Hassan told AFP on Thursday that the Lebanese government's decision to hold direct negotiations with Israel was a "grave error", urging authorities to stop making concessions to Israel and the United States.

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri has made no secret of his "displeasure and resentment" at President Joseph Aoun and PM Nawaf Salam's decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The Israeli army is preparing for a ceasefire in Lebanon expected to begin at 7:00 P.M. local time, Israel's Haaretz newspaper quoted Israeli army officials as saying.

Visiting British Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer on Thursday called for a ceasefire in Lebanon where Israel and Hezbollah are at war, and welcomed direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war on March 2 after militant group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of its backer Iran. Israel has responded with huge strikes and a ground invasion in the country's south.