Biden announces Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement

US President Joe Biden says Israel and Lebanon have accepted a US proposal to end the “devastating” Israel-Hezbollah conflict, setting the stage for a halt to nearly 14 months of cross-border fighting that has killed thousands of people.

In a televised address from Washington on Tuesday, Biden said the truce would begin at 4am local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday and that the agreement was “designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities”.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was ready to implement the deal with Lebanon and would respond forcefully to any violation by Hezbollah, declaring Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action”.

More to come…