Unsurprisingly, Hezbollah was suddenly prepared to agree to a 60-day truce. In announcing the ceasefire, Biden said that both sides “have accepted the United States’ proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.” He added that the ceasefire “is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

For many across the Middle East, the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire came as a relief: the first major sign of progress in the region since war began more than a year ago