France urges Israel, Hezbollah to agree ceasefire 'as soon as possible'

France said that "significant progress" had been made in talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, urging them to seize "this opportunity as soon as possible".

"Discussions on a ceasefire along the Blue Line have made significant progress," the French presidency said Monday. "We hope that the relevant parties will seize this opportunity as soon as possible."

The United States also said it believes a ceasefire deal is "close" but negotiations are still ongoing.

"We believe we’ve reached this point where we’re close," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, adding, however, that "we’re not there yet."