'Prevented Enemy From...': Hezbollah Declares 'Great Victory' Against Israel Amid Ceasefire Deal

Beirut: Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem announced on Friday that his group would work closely with the Lebanese army to enforce a recently signed ceasefire deal with Israel, which he described as being accepted "with heads held high."

This marked Qassem's first public statement since the ceasefire took effect on Wednesday which ended over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel that devastated large parts of Lebanon and claimed 4,000 lives, including hundreds of women and children.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hezbollah is set to withdraw from areas south of the Litani River, located approximately 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. In their place, the Lebanese army will deploy its forces as Israeli ground troops pull back.

Qassem said Hezbollah had "approved the deal, with the resistance strong on the battlefield, and our heads held high with our right to defend (ourselves)".

The Lebanese army has already sent additional troops to the south but is preparing a detailed deployment plan to share with Lebanon's cabinet, security sources and officials have said.

That effort has been complicated by the continuing presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory. The deal grants them a full 60 days to complete their withdrawal.

With inputs from Reuters.