Israel’s new foreign minister said Monday, November 11, that there has been "certain progress" in efforts to end the fighting with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. But a spokesman for the militant group said it had not received any official proposal and was prepared to wage a long war if needed.

The Biden administration has spent months trying to broker a cease-fire, and there were reports that US envoy Amos Hochstein might return to the region in the coming days.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said any agreement would have to include enforcement mechanisms to prevent Hezbollah from reconstituting its military infrastructure near the border.

"There is certain progress on the issue. We are working with the Americans," he told reporters.

Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since the conflict erupted, more than 3,200 people have been killed and more than 14,000 wounded in Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported.

The Israel-Hamas war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and abducting 250 others. Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. The officials do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say more than half of those killed were women and children.