Smoke plumes rise after an Israeli air attack on the Chouaifet neighbourhood. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT — Israel is closer to reaching an arrangement over the fighting with Hezbollah than at any point since the start of the war, an Israeli security Cabinet minister said. However, he added that Israel must retain the freedom to act inside Lebanon should any deal be violated.
"I think we are at a point where we are closer to an arrangement than we have been since the start of the war," said Energy Minister Eli Cohen in an interview with Reuters. A key sticking point for Israel, he said, is ensuring it retains freedom of action should Hezbollah return to border areas where it could pose a threat to Israeli communities. "We will be less forgiving than in the past over attempts to create strongholds in territory near Israel. That’s how we will be, and that’s certainly how we will act," Cohen said.
According to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid in a post on X, a senior American official revealed that recent talks held by Israeli Minister Ron Dermer at the White House were highly productive, closing most of the gaps between the U.S. and Israel regarding the wording of the cease-fire agreement and the letter of guarantees Israel requested for freedom of action in Lebanon. “It’s not a done deal yet, but it’s very close,” the official stated.
An Israeli official further confirmed that Israel and the U.S. are "on the same page" regarding the cease-fire agreement. However, the official stressed that the U.S. must also reach identical understandings with the Lebanese side to finalize the deal. “There is understanding between us and the Americans, but now the U.S. needs to reach identical understandings with the Lebanese,” the Israeli official explained, according to Ravid.
On the Lebanese side, the process is more complex. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati are reportedly negotiating with both Hezbollah and the U.S. to reach a resolution, Ravid wrote on X. However, no final agreement has been reached yet. A senior American official also told Ravid that both Israel and Hezbollah want a cease-fire agreement, but the real question is how far each side is willing to compromise to secure it.
At this stage, there is no scheduled visit for U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to Beirut, according to Ravid. Israeli and American officials have confirmed that he will not travel to Lebanon until there is certainty that an agreement has been achieved.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that Israel is awaiting a Lebanese response to the proposed cease-fire within 24 hours.
An Israeli official, speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity to the Washington Post, said there is a tacit understanding that Israel “will give Trump a gift” and that in January, when he takes office, “an agreement on Lebanon will be reached.”
