A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah has been approved after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the United States and France, US President Joe Biden has said.
The ceasefire will come into effect from 4am local time today.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented the ceasefire agreement to his security cabinet late on Tuesday, local time.
Netanyahu has said his government will “enforce the agreement,” however will respond “forcefully” if the deal is violated.
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“In full coordination with the United States, we retain complete military freedom of action. Should Hezbollah violate the agreement or attempt to rearm, we will strike decisively,” the Israeli prime minister said.
United States president Joe Biden has said the deal is intended to “be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” He reiterated that Israel has a right to defend itself should the agreement be broken.
Biden has confirmed that Lebanon’s army will establish control near its border with Israel so that Hezbollah infrastructure is not reestablished in the area.
Israel is set to withdraw its troops from Lebanon over the next 60 days.
Netanyahu says the ceasefire would allow Israel to focus on “the Iranian threat” and its military operations within Gaza. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began in response to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel last year, and saw escalations in September.
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