A breakthrough ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah could be just days away, according to the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Mike Herzog. Speaking Monday to Israeli Army Radio, Herzog said negotiators were hammering out the final details of an agreement to clear southern Lebanon of both Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops—an effort to avoid a repeat of the devastation of the 34-day conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. “We are close to a deal... It can happen within days,” Herzog said, according to a report from the Associated Press. He added that approval from the Israeli government remains a must before anything is finalized. Israel is demanding the right to reply with force if Hezbollah breaches the terms, a condition Lebanon might not accept. Israel accuses the Iranian-backed militia group of ignoring the U.N. resolution that ended the 2006 conflict and fears Hezbollah could launch a Hamas-style raid into Israel if allowed to maintain its current presence near the border. Lebanon, meanwhile, says Israel routinely violates the same U.N. resolution with frequent air and naval incursions into its territory. Hezbollah attacked Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after a Hamas raid into Israel led to the slaughter of more than 1,200 people. Regular contacts escalated into an all-out war in Lebanon in September, with an Israeli ground incursion and huge Israeli airstrikes.
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