Biden announces ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire deal that will end fighting between Israeli military and Hezbollah group in Lebanon, US President Joe Biden has announced.

The truce will take effect at 4 am local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the US and France, Biden said on Tuesday.

Biden made the announcement in the White House Rose Garden and thanked his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, for his partnership in reaching this moment.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in phone call with Biden, welcomed the ceasefire agreement.

Biden spoke about Palestine also and said that the people of Gaza "deserve an end to the fighting and displacement."

"The people of Gaza have been through hell," the US President said.

Their "only way out" is to release the hostages taken from Israel last year, and bring an end to the fighting, which would allow aid in.

He said in the coming days the US will make another push with Türkiye, Qatar and others to "achieve a ceasefire in Gaza."

The US remains prepared to do "historic deals" for establishing a Palestinian state and a normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the US President noted.

"I believe this agenda remains possible," Biden said, adding that he will spend the remaining days in office working "tirelessly" towards this.

Hezbollah to move south of Litani River

Earlier Israel approved a ceasefire with Lebanon that would stop more than a year of fighting with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the agreement, saying it would let Israel focus on the threat from Iran, allow the Israeli military to rest and rearm, and isolate Hamas.

Thanking France and the United States for their involvement, Lebanese PM Mikati said the truce was "a fundamental step towards establishing calm and stability in Lebanon" and "helps to establish regional stability".

He also reiterated his government's commitment to "strengthen the army's presence in the south".

The ceasefire agreement requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon's army to deploy in the region, officials say. Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the border south of the Litani River.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw, and that the United States could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.