A temporary ceasefire has been reached in the Middle East, where conflict had been intensifying. The critical question now is whether this truce can p･･･

In a newspaper column, the mayor of Kiryat Shmona, close to the border, said he doubted the ceasefire would be enforced, demanding that Israel creates a buffer zone in south Lebanon. In a poll commissioned by the Israeli station Channel 12 News those questioned were roughly split between supporters and opponents of the ceasefire.

The cease-fire is intended to halt more than a year of fighting with the Hezbollah militia and could help defuse a broader regional crisis.