Beirut, Lebanon - October 03, 2024 Lebanon will gradually resume in-person classes in schools across the country after the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel ends, said the country's Minister of Education and Higher Education who also calls on the international community to lend a hand to accelerate the reconstruction work. The Israeli cabinet on Tuesday night approved a ceasefire deal with Lebanon, paving the way for an end to a nearly 14-month conflict tied in great part to the ongoing one in the Gaza Strip. According to the ceasefire deal, the Lebanese army will take control of southern border areas over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw, and civilians will return home. When talking to China Global Television Network (CGTN), the eduction minister Abbas Halabi said that attacks launched by Israel has deprived more than half a million students of their right to attend school and also displacing some 40,000 teachers. "From the South Governorate and Nabatieh Governorate, and to the north and southwest of Bekaa, about 500,000 students and about 40,000 teachers of private and public educational institutions have been displaced from these areas, including students of higher education and those students of the Lebanese University and other private tertiary schools fleeing the war, and their campuses have been closed," said Halabi. Halabi hopes that all students in Lebanon will be able to resume in-person classes after the conflict ends. "We hope that the situation will improve from now to New Year's Day, and that we can fully resume in-person classes across Lebanon after the war ends. People can return to their homes, while schools that serve as shelters can resume use. If some students cannot return to class or require distance learning, we will then study how to compensate them. In principle, we allow all forms of learning because this school year has just begun," he said. The minister also called on the international community to support Lebanon and assist the country with the rebuilding of homes destroyed by Israel. "We hope that friendly countries will support Lebanon in its post-war reconstruction, because the huge amount of funds we need is far beyond the capacity of the Lebanese state and the education ministry, which requires us to call on friendly countries to support Lebanon and invest funds when necessary. But no one will help Lebanon if the political situation remains unstable. We look forward to a period of peace so that the international community can meet Lebanon's reconstruction needs," said Halabi. SHOTLIST: FILE: Beirut, Lebanon - Oct 3, 2024 1. Various of debris on street, Lebanese national flags; Lebanon - Recent 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Halabi, Minister of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon: "From the South Governorate and Nabatieh Governorate, and to the north and southwest of Bekaa, about 500,000 students and about 40,000 teachers of private and public educational institutions have been displaced from these areas, including students of higher education and those students of the Lebanese University and other private tertiary schools fleeing the war, and their campuses have been closed."; FILE: Beirut, Lebanon - Oct 2, 2024 3. Various of smoke rising over city; Lebanon - Recent 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Halabi, Minister of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon (partially overlaid with shot 5): "We hope that the situation will improve from now to New Year's Day, and that we can fully resume in-person classes across Lebanon after the war ends. People can return to their homes, while schools that serve as shelters can resume use. If some students cannot return to class or require distance learning, we will then study how to compensate them. In principle, we allow all forms of learning because this school year has just begun."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 5. Lebanese national flag; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Beirut, Lebanon - Oct 2, 2024 6. Various of smoke rising from rubble, residents, damaged buildings, vehicles; Lebanon - Recent 7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Halabi, Minister of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon (ending with shot 8): "We hope that friendly countries will support Lebanon in its post-war reconstruction, because the huge amount of funds we need is far beyond the capacity of the Lebanese state and the education ministry, which requires us to call on friendly countries to support Lebanon and invest funds when necessary. But no one will help Lebanon if the political situation remains unstable. We look forward to a period of peace so that the international community can meet Lebanon's reconstruction needs."; FILE: Beirut, Lebanon - Oct 2, 2024 8. Various of smoke rising from rubble, residents, damaged buildings, vehicles. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]