Israel approved a cease-fire with Lebanon that is intended to bring a halt to more than a year of fighting with the Hezbollah militia and could help defuse a broader regional crisis that has threatened to ensnare the U.

President Biden said the 60-day truce, which the United States helped broker, would take effect early Wednesday, and was intended to become permanent, ending Lebanon’s deadliest war in decades.

Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days as Lebanon's army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there, Biden said.