The President of United States of America, Joe Biden, has confirmed that Israel and the Hezbollah have agreed to its proposal for ceasefire in Lebanon to end the 14 month old fighting across the borders of the two countries.

The ceasefire deal begins at 4:00 am local time. The same development was announced by the Israeli government in a statement: The Security Cabinet, this evening, in a 10-1 vote, approved the US proposal for a ceasefire arrangement in Lebanon.

Biden informed that over the next 60 days, the Lebanese Army and the State Security Forces will deploy and take control of their own territory once again and that 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.

However, he also asserted that the “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon will not be allowed to be rebuilt”.

“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, just like any country when facing a terrorist group pledged to that country’s destruction,” the US President warned.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Israelis that the task of “obliterating Hamas” and retrieving the hostages will be completed. “The war will not end until we realize all its goals, including the return of the residents of the north safely home,” he said.

Netanyahu added that the length of the ceasefire will depend on the actions of the Hezbolllah in Lebanon and warned, “If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack. If it tries to rebuild terrorist infrastructure near the border, we will attack. If it launches a rocket, if it digs a tunnel, if it brings in a truck carrying rockets, we will attack.”

Further, the Israeli Prime Minister stated that there are three main reasons for agreeing to the ceasefire, namely:

–  To focus on the Iranian threat

– To give the forces a breather and replenish stocks. Acknowledging that there has been “big delays in weapons and munitions deliveries”, Netanyahu said that the ceasefire will resolve these issues.

– To separate the fronts and isolate Hamas. “With Hezbollah out of the picture, Hamas is left on its own”, the Israeli Prime Minister stated.