>>>Click into special report: Mideast Crisis

A Lebanese holding a Lebanese national flag drives his car on the way to Beirut, capital of Lebanon, Aug. 14, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

A Lebanese woman holds her child in a car on the way back home in the Lebanon-Syria border area, Aug. 14, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

Displaced Lebanese carrying their belongings jam a bombed-out highway on their way home to south Lebanon. (Xinhua Photo)

Israeli soldiers react after leaving Lebanon following a ceasefire August 14, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

Israeli soldiers react after leaving Lebanon following a ceasefire, near the Israeli town of Manara August 14, 2006.  (Xinhua Photo)

An Israeli soldier reacts after leaving Lebanon following a ceasefire August 14, 2006.Guns fell silent across southern Lebanon on Monday after a U.N.-brokered truce went into effect to end five weeks of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah that killed more than 1,250 people and wounded thousands.(Xinhua Photo)

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday claimed a "historic and strategic victory" over Israel after the cessation of hostilities between the Shiite group and Israel.

"We are before a strategic and historic victory for all Lebanese, without exaggeration," he said in a televised speech on Hezbollah's al-Manar television.

Nasrallah made the remarks 12 hours after a UN-brokerd truce took effect following 34 days of fierce fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

Calling Monday "a great day," the Hezbollah leader also warned that it was the "wrong time" to publicly discuss disarming his guerrilla group.

He promised that his organization would help the Lebanese people rebuild their damaged homes, while giving financial support to owners of some 15,000 homes which had been completely destroyed by Israeli strikes.

On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1701, calling for Israel's withdrawal and authorizing an increase of the existing UN force in Lebanon to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese government troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws.

The resolution came after a month of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. More than 1,100 Lebanese have been killed, mostly in Israeli air strikes, while over 100 Israelis have been killed in Hezbollah attacks.

The UN-brokered ceasefire took effect at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT)on Monday following approval of both Israel and Hezbollah.

Editor: Yan