Israel closer to Lebanon ceasefire deal 'than we have been since start of war' -- minister

Israel is closer to reaching an arrangement over fighting with Hezbollah than it has been since the start of the war, but it must retain freedom to act inside Lebanon should any deal be violated, says Energy Minister Eli Cohen.

“I think we are at a point that we are closer to an arrangement than we have been since the start of the war,” says Cohen, a member of the security cabinet, in an interview with Reuters.

A key sticking point for Israel, he says, 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,” Cohen says.