Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire deal - US President

In a televised address from Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Biden said the truce would begin at 4am local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday. The agreement did not relate to the ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza.Aljazeera reported.

“Lasting security for the people of Israel and Lebanon cannot be achieved only on the battlefield. That’s why I directed my team to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to forge a ceasefire,” Biden said.

“The fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end — will end. This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

According to a statement, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he told Biden that he welcomed the deal to end hostilities between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told the US president that his government had approved the truce and that he appreciated his “understanding that Israel will maintain its freedom of action in enforcing it”, his office said.