Israel and Lebanon getting closer to a ceasefire deal: Report

Lebanon and Israel are on the verge of agreeing to a ceasefire deal, two senior Israeli officials and two US officials told Axios.

The US reportedly agreed to give Israel a letter of assurances that includes "support for Israeli military action against imminent threats from Lebanese territory, and for action to disrupt things like the re-establishment of a Hezbollah military presence near the border or the smuggling of heavy weapons".

Israel would take such actions after consultations with the US, and if the Lebanese army had not dealt with the issue first.

An issue may arise after the International Criminal Court's issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as France, a country Lebanon wants involved in the ceasefire process, said that it would respect the court's decision.

Axios says that US President Joe Biden spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron to tell him Netanyahu was "right" to be angry about France's position on the ICC warrants.