Israeli Energy Minister Cohen: “(Ceasefire with Hezbollah) There are talks, but I think it will take time”

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen stated that the Israeli security cabinet is discussing ceasefire conditions with Hezbollah, saying, “There are talks, but I think this will take time.”

Following reports that U.S. mediators are working on a 60-day ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced that the Israeli security cabinet is addressing the ceasefire conditions with Hezbollah. Cohen stated in an interview with the Israeli press, “There are talks, but I think this will take time.”

Reports in the Israeli press indicated that during a meeting held yesterday under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there was a broad consensus that Israel had largely achieved its targets in its attacks on Lebanon and that it now needed to turn this into an agreement that would end the conflicts. The reports expressed that Netanyahu is expected to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon if it allows Israelis living in the north to safely return to their homes.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s senior advisor Amos Hochstein and National Security Council Middle East and North Africa Coordinator Brett McGurk are expected to visit Israel tomorrow to discuss the ceasefire conditions with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

The proposal for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah includes Hezbollah withdrawing about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border to the north of the Litani River, the Lebanese army being deployed along the border, establishing an international intervention mechanism to implement the ceasefire, and allowing Israel to “act in case of threat.”