A senior U.S. mediator said on Tuesday that there was a “real opportunity” to end the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and that gaps were narrowing, signaling progress in Washington's efforts to reach a ceasefire, Reuters reports.

White House spokesman Amos Hochstein spoke in Beirut after talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a day after the Lebanese government and Hezbollah agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal.

“I came back because we have a real opportunity to end this conflict,” Hochstein said at a news conference after the meeting. - It is now within our power. Since there is time now, I hope that a final decision will be made in the coming days.”

Hochstein's mission marks the last desperate attempt by the outgoing U.S. administration to secure a cease-fire in Lebanon. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Lebanon's parliament speaker said the situation was “basically good” and some details of the ceasefire proposal still needed to be clarified, including technical details. He said Hochstein would settle these details before traveling to Israel, and that Lebanon views the United States as a guarantor of the Israeli position.

For his part, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told a conference Tuesday that “negotiations are underway regarding an agreement with Lebanon,” but that Israel would agree only if all its demands, including pushing Hezbollah away from the border, were met.