What both sides are saying about ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah

Rescuers use an excavator as they search for victims at the site of an Israeli air strike that hit a building in Beirut (Hassan Ammar/AP)

A ceasefire deal that could end more than a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group has won the backing of Israeli leaders, raising hopes and renewing difficult questions in a region gripped by conflict.

Hezbollah leaders also signalled tentative backing for the US-brokered deal, which offers both sides an off-ramp from hostilities that have driven more than 1.2 million Lebanese and 50,000 Israelis from their homes.