Biden administration brokers ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon-based militants, Hezbollah
A ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration has been reached between Israel and Hezbollah, potentially bringing lasting peace to the region as the war in Gaza continues.
A ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration has been reached between Israel and Hezbollah, potentially bringing lasting peace to the region as the war in Gaza continues.
A ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration has been reached between Israel and Hezbollah, potentially bringing lasting peace to the region as the war in Gaza continues.
A ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, bringing hope of lasting peace in the Middle East.
President Joe Biden announced the deal Tuesday, detailing the two-month-long agreement that stops 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants.
"This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities," Biden said in remarks at the White House Rose Garden. "I applaud the courageous decision made by the leaders of Lebanon and Israel to end the violence. It reminds us that peace is possible."
The deal requires Iran-backed Hezbollah to end its presence in Lebanon while Israeli troops retreat, allowing civilians and troops to return home.
But Biden cautioned that if Hezbollah violates the deal, Israel holds the right to defend itself.
"What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed, I emphasize, will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again," Biden said.
Still, the deal does not address the war in Gaza, where Hamas terrorists hold dozens of hostages. Biden says the U.S., along with Israel, will resume talks with officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to get negotiations back on track.
Meanwhile, in another rare instance of cooperation, the Biden team reportedly consistently kept the incoming Trump administration up to speed on the ceasefire deal. Though the agreement happened under Biden's watch, with his administration doing most of the legwork, Trump and his team quickly claimed credit for the ceasefire.
"Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump," Trump's nominee for national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, said. "His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won鈥檛 be tolerated. I鈥檓 glad to see concrete steps towards de-escalation in the Middle East."
Analysts say that Iran, which sponsors militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, is weighing its options ahead of Trump assuming office. Trump has taken a hardline approach against Iran, implementing sanctions to hurt the country's economy during his first term.
Trump has vowed to end the violence in the Middle East in his second term but hasn't given details on how.