U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein shuttled repeatedly to Beirut and Jerusalem despite the ructions of an election at home to secure a deal that required help from France -- and that was nearly derailed by international arrest warrants for Israel's leaders.

Lebanon awoke to a ceasefire on Wednesday as Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia halted fighting, with displaced residents returning home despite warnings that a new outbreak of violence could erupt from any breaches of the agreement.