US President Joe Biden has announced a ceasefire deal to end 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia.

In a joint statement, the United States and France said the agreement would halt fighting in Lebanon and “protect Israel from the threat posed by Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations.”

We know this from official briefings and media reports about the ceasefire agreement.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that the agreement was “designed as a permanent ceasefire.”

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah will withdraw its fighters and weapons from the area between the Blue Line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel – and the Litani River, about 30 km (20 miles) to the north, over a period of 60 days .

According to a senior US official, Hezbollah fighters in the area will be replaced by Lebanese army forces who will ensure that infrastructure or weapons are removed and cannot be rebuilt.

Within the same 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces and civilians, Biden said, adding that this would allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes.

The Lebanese army is expected to send 5,000 troops to the south as part of the deal, according to a U.S. official.

But questions remain about their role in enforcing the ceasefire and whether they would act against Hezbollah if necessary, which would have the potential to increase tensions in a country where sectarian divisions are deeply rooted.

The Lebanese army has also said it does not have the resources – money, manpower and equipment – to meet its obligations under the deal, although this could be mitigated by contributions from some of Lebanon’s international allies.

However, many Western officials say that Hezbollah has been weakened and that this is the moment for the Lebanese government to restore control over all of the country’s territory.

The agreement is largely based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

According to Resolution 1701, areas south of the Litani should be free of armed personnel or weapons other than those of the Lebanese state and the UN peacekeeping force (Unifil).

But both sides alleged violations of the resolution.

Israel says Hezbollah was allowed to build extensive infrastructure in the region, while Lebanon says Israel’s violations included military flights over its territory.

This time, the US and France will join the existing tripartite mechanism involving Unifil, Lebanon and Israel, which will be tasked with monitoring violations, the senior US official said.

“There will be no US combat troops in the region, but there will be military support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, as we have done in the past. But in this case, this will typically happen with the Lebanese army and also with the French military,” the official said.

Alluding to Israeli concerns, Biden said: “The reconstruction of Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon will not be allowed.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel would maintain “full freedom of military action” in Lebanon “with the full understanding of the United States.”

“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 fires a missile, if it digs a tunnel, if it brings in a truck with missiles, we will attack,” he explained.

Biden supported that view, telling reporters: “If Hezbollah or someone else violates the agreement and poses a direct threat to Israel, Israel retains the right to self-defense in accordance with international law.”

But he also said that the agreement protects Lebanon’s sovereignty.

The Israeli demand for the right to retaliate is believed to not be part of the ceasefire agreement as it was rejected by Lebanon. To get around the problem, media reports had suggested that the US would issue a letter reaffirming Israel’s right to act.