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US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Lebanon, ending a brutal conflict with Hezbollah that has killed more than 3,700 people and seen entire Lebanese villages wiped off the map.
Mr Biden said the truce is set to begin at 4am local time on Wednesday, and that the agreement is designed to become a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the Security Cabinet approved the ceasefire in a 10-1 vote. The war in Lebanon has raged since October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah intervened in Israel’s war on Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7.
Mr Biden claimed that Hezbollah had been planning on a Hamas-style invasion of northern Israel through tunnels that have now been destroyed by Israeli forces.
"What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations will not be allowed, I emphasise, will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again," Mr Biden said from the Rose Garden of the White House.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the US-mediated ceasefire as “an essential step towards calm and stability in Lebanon and returning displaced people” to their homes. About 1.4 million people in Lebanon have been displaced.
A senior US administration official said that over the next 60 days, Israeli troops who are occupying territory in Lebanon will stage a phased withdrawal as the Lebanese army and state security forces take control of their own territory. Lebanese and Israeli displaced civilians would then be able to return to their homes.
Mr Biden said no US troops would be posted in southern Lebanon.
"The announcement today will cease the fighting in Lebanon and secure Israel from the threat of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations operating from Lebanon," he said in a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron.
France and the US have committed to building up the strength and capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces and will work to secure economic development in Lebanon to "advance stability and prosperity in the region", the two leaders said.
Mr Biden said that in the coming days, the US would make another push to reach a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal in Gaza with the assistance of Turkey, Egypt and Qatar.
Many of Hezbollah's senior commanders, including Hassan Nasrallah, have been killed during Israeli air and ground assaults, which also caused the deaths of thousands of Lebanese, the displacement of millions and widespread devastation.
Just hours before the ceasefire was announced, Israel launched its biggest wave of strikes on the capital Beirut, destroying dozens of buildings and homes in two minutes after the Israeli military issued eviction orders to residents.
The ceasefire marks the first time since November 2023 that there has been a reduction in violence the Middle East conflict. The last time was a six-day break in fighting between Israel and Hamas in November 2023, to allow for the exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the agreement would put an end to the "violence, destruction and suffering the people of both countries have been experiencing". He urged all parties to take immediate steps towards the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, the 2006 agreement that ended a different war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The new agreement mirrors Resolution 1701 but with more oversight to ensure its enforcement. It would ensure Iran-backed Hezbollah pull back to the north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
Mike Waltz, the congressman picked to become US national security adviser in the Trump White House, has credited the president-elect for the ceasefire deal. Mr Trump campaigned on the promise to “end wars” in the Middle East and elsewhere.
“Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” Mr Waltz said on X. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards de-escalation in the Middle East.”
Hanin Ghaddar, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the latest ceasefire was a "good achievement" for the Biden administration and one that will boost the departing President's legacy.
"It raises his legacy in the sense that he stopped the war,” Ms Ghaddar, whose research focuses on Hezbollah and Shiite politics in the Levant, told The National. “The ceasefire did not benefit Hezbollah. The ceasefire was kind of a surrender by Hezbollah.”
She said the broad contours of the agreement were sound but its efficacy would only be proven by its implementation. For the deal to succeed, Ms Ghaddar said the monitoring group outlined in the agreement must ensure that Hezbollah cannot regroup and funnel weapons in through ports of entry.
The ceasefire talks between Hezbollah and Israel were mediated by US envoy Amos Hochstein.
The UN's special co-ordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, welcomed the ceasefire and urged both sides to follow up with “concrete actions” toward stability.
“Considerable work lies ahead to ensure that the agreement endures. Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” Ms Hennis-Plasschaert said in statement.
The American Task Force on Lebanon, a leadership organisation for Americans of Lebanese heritage, welcomed the ceasefire announcement.
“Its success will require US leadership and persistence in assisting the country’s recovery and guaranteeing its sovereignty and support to the Lebanese army, which is set to play a key role in the ensuing phase,” the group's president, Edward Gabriel, said in a statement.
Adla Massoud contributed to this report from the UN.
Five key moments of the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon - in pictures
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
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WOMAN AND CHILD
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
