In what might be his final achievement as president, Joe Biden, his diplomats, and their French counterparts have brokered a ceasefire in the increasingly brutal yearlong war between Israel and Hezbollah’s Islamist militia in Lebanon.

The agreement with Lebanon will maintain Israel's freedom of operation there to act in defence to remove threats posed by Hezbollah and enable displaced residents to return safely to their homes in northern Israel, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told Reuters.