President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire agreement that will prevent Hezbollah from ever threatening Israel's security again.
"Under the deal reached today, effective at 4 a.m. tomorrow, local time, the fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end," Biden said. "This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities."
In remarks from the White House, Biden said that during the next 60 days, "the Lebanese army and state security forces will deploy and take control of their own territory."
"Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon will not be allowed to be rebuilt, and over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces," he said. "Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses and their very lives."
Biden also said that "Israel did not launch this war," which has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon — including Hezbollah's top leaders — since the militant group began firing rockets and missiles into Israel one day after the surprise Oct. 7, 2023, surprise Hamas attacks on Israel from Gaza.
"The Lebanese people did not seek that war either. Nor did the United States," the president said.
Biden's announcement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security Cabinet threw their support behind the U.S.-backed ceasefire plan earlier in the day.
The Israeli leader said said the pact would allow Israel to turn its attention to Iran.
"I'm prepared to do anything to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon," Netanyahu said during televised remarks.
Elias Bou Saab, Lebanon's deputy parliament speaker, said the ceasefire won approval in Beirut after Hezbollah endorsed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to negotiate on its behalf.
But a top Hezbollah leader said the militant group has yet to see the agreement in its final form.
"After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials," Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of the group's political council, said, the Associated Press reported.
"We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state" of Lebanon, he said, seemingly referring to Israel's threat to strike if it believes Hezbollah violated the agreement.
"Any violation of sovereignty is refused," he said.
Biden said the agreement "supports Lebanon's sovereignty" but included a security guarantee for Israel.
"Let us be clear, if Hezbollah or anyone else breaks the deal and poses a direct threat to Israel, then Israel retains the right to self-defense consistent with international law," he said.
Biden credited French President Emmanuel Macron for helping broker the agreement and said the next step would be to end Israel's war with Hamas.
"Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, with the hostages released and the end of the war without Hamas in power," he said.
Biden also said the U.S. "remains prepared to conclude a set of historic deals with Saudi Arabia to include a security pact and economic assurances, together with a credible pathway for establishing a Palestinian state" and "full normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel."
"I believe this agenda remains possible, and in my remaining time in office, I'll work tirelessly to advance his vision for an integrated, secure and prosperous region," he said
