Biden says 'working' to get people back to homes on Israel-Lebanon border

US President Joe Biden said Friday he was working to allow people to return to their homes on the Israeli-Lebanon border. Biden added that it was crucial to keep pushing for a Gaza ceasefire to underpin regional peace, despite a media report that his administration had given up hope of securing a truce before he leaves office in January.

It was Biden's first reaction since the violence shifted dramatically from Gaza to Lebanon, with thousands of Hezbollah operatives' pagers and walkie-talkies exploding earlier this week. Biden also denied that a ceasefire to end Israel's war in Gaza following the Hamas October 7 attacks was unrealistic, following a Wall Street Journal report that officials believe it is now unlikely.