Diplomats and other officials say there have been several sticking points in ceasefire talks in the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, even as conditions for an agreement appear to be ripe.

Israel and Hezbollah continued their heavy exchange of fire on Monday, causing many schools to close on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border, even as officials signaled that the two sides appeared to be nearing the first cease-fire since their conflict began last year.

Israel went on the offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in September, pounding the south, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut's southern suburbs with airstrikes after nearly a year of hostilities ignited by the Gaza war. The Israeli offensive has uprooted more than 1 million people in Lebanon.