US President Joe Biden said that the ceasefire in Lebanon would come into force early on Wednesday (27 November).
The announcement comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would allow Israel to focus its attention on Hamas and sworn enemy Iran.
The ceasefire will begin at 4:00 a.m. local time, Biden said, speaking at the White House after Netanyahu's office announced that his ministers had approved the agreement.
Ten ministers voted in favor and one against, the Israeli prime minister's office announced.
The United States is a key ally and military backer of Israel, and Biden hailed the deal as "good news" and a "new beginning" for Lebanon.
Netanyahu thanked Biden for his involvement in brokering the deal.
The United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the G-7 had been pushing for an end to fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah after more than a year of cross-border shelling and two months of full-scale war in Lebanon.
Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron said a ceasefire would protect Israel from Hezbollah and create conditions for a "lasting calm".
The United States and France will ensure that the agreement is "fully implemented," a joint statement read.
In a televised address before the cabinet vote on security, Netanyahu said:
"The duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon."
German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbok welcomed the deal, describing it as "a ray of hope for the whole region".
"People on both sides of the border want to live in real and lasting security," Berbok told reporters, calling the agreement "a success for diplomacy as a whole."
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the "very encouraging news," and stressed that the deal would boost Lebanon's "internal security and stability."
The announcement is welcome news "above all for the Lebanese and Israeli people affected by the fighting," Von der Leyen wrote in X.
"Lebanon will have the opportunity to increase internal security and stability thanks to the reduced influence of Hezbollah," she added, as quoted by AFP.
The UN welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon but said "significant work remains to be done". | BGNES
