Israel Hezbollah ceasefire deal agreed, confirms Biden

BBC:

A ceasefire has been agreed to end 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, US President Joe Biden has announced.

“Effective at 04:00 tomorrow local time (02:00 GMT on Wednesday), the fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end,” Biden said, adding that it aimed to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities”.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will not hesitate to strike if Hezbollah breaks any part of the agreed deal.

There has been no response from the Iran-backed armed group which had been trading fire with Israel since October 2023. Fighting escalated in late September when Israel intensified bombardments and launched a limited ground invasion.

It has beenLebanon’s deadliest conflict in decades, killing more than 3,823 people say local officials.

The ceasefire started overnight on Wednesday as planned.

Under the deal announced on Tuesday and brokered by the US, there will be a 60-day period during which Israel will gradually withdraw its troops from Lebanon’s south as Lebanese government forces regain control of an area currently held by Hezbollah.

It is expected that Hezbollah fighters and weapons will be removed from the area south of the Litani River, a boundary established at the end of the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.

“This announcement will create the conditions to restore lasting calm and allow residents in both countries to return safely to their homes,” said a joint statement from the US and France – which will be involved in monitoring the implementation of the deal