Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the Israeli army “not to allow the population to enter the area of the villages near the border in southern Lebanon, in accordance with the first phase of implementing the ceasefire outline,” Netanyahu’s office said.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil congratulated the Lebanese for a ceasefire that came into effect on Wednesday morning.

If it holds, the ceasefire would bring an end to nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated in mid-September into all-out war.

Pictures of Hezbollah Coordination and Liaison Unit chief Wafiq Safa surfaced Wednesday on social media shortly after the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire went into effect.

Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said Tuesday he hoped a ceasefire to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah would be agreed later on Tuesday.

Residents of northern Israel – many of whom have been displaced by the conflict with Hezbollah, along with residents of southern Lebanon across the border – have expressed concern about the looming ceasefire deal.

The U.S. has informed Lebanese officials that a declaration of the war's end will be made in the coming hours, Al-Arabiya quoted sources as saying on Monday evening.

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to the terms of the ceasefire agreement and the Israeli Security Cabinet is expected to approve the deal on Tuesday, a senior U.S. official told U.S. news portal Axios on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the emerging ceasefire deal with Hezbollah “in principle” during a security consultation with Israeli officials Sunday night, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Monday that a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon would be "a big mistake and a missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah," warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "it is not too late" to stop the looming deal.

Israel and Lebanon are on the verge of a ceasefire agreement to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, two senior Israeli officials and two U.S. officials told U.S. news portal Axios.