Israel's Netanyahu approves 'in principle' ceasefire deal with Hezbollah: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved "in principle" a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, a source told CNN, amid constant fighting between the Israeli military and the Lebanon-based group in the region.

In Short

• Israel expresses concerns over some details in truce deal with Hezbollah
• Hezbollah leader says it reviewed and gave feedback on US-backed proposal
• Israel and Hezbollah have been striking each other with rockets, missiles

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved "in principle" a ceasefire agreement with Lebanese group Hezbollah, but the Jewish nation has reservations over some details of the deal, which were expected to be transmitted to Lebanon on Monday, a source quoting CNN said.

The sticking points are still being negotiated, and the agreement would not be considered final until all issues are resolved, multiple sources said. The Israeli cabinet should also approve the ceasefire agreement, once it is final.

"We are moving in the direction towards a deal, but there are still some issues to address," Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said, without elaborating.

Sources involved in the negotiations said the talks appeared to be moving positively towards an agreement, but warned that with the Israel-Hezbollah hostilities ongoing, one misstep could derail the discussions, CNN reported.

Last week, US envoy Amos Hochstein visited Beirut to review the progress of the talks and said that a truce deal between Israel and Hezbollah was "within our grasp". He, however, said that the agreement was ultimately "the decision of the parties".

"We have a real opportunity to bring the conflict to an end. The window is now open," he said.

Over the weekend, Israel pummelled central Beirut with a wave of airstrikes, killing 29 people, while Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, launched a barrage of over 250 missiles on Israel on Sunday.

Hochstein met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is leading the talks from Hezbollah's side, and said the discussions were "constructive" and "very good to narrow the gaps".

Last week, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem, who took charge after Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September, said the group had reviewed and given its feedback on the US-backed ceasefire proposal. He said a truce was now in the hands of Israel.

Last month, two sources told Reuters that US mediators were working on a proposal to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, starting with a 60-day ceasefire.

Israel launched a massive offensive on Lebanon in mid-September after months of tit-for-tat border strikes, which began on October 8 last year, a day after the Jewish nation stormed into Gaza in response to the attacks by Hamas on its soil.

Hezbollah has expressed solidarity with Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza and has been launching rocket and missile attacks on Israel in retaliation.

(with inputs from Reuters)