Israeli forces continued airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Wednesday despite US efforts to broker a halt to hostilities through renewed talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington.
The latest round of negotiations comes as Washington seeks to secure a ceasefire in the Lebanon conflict, while accusing Hezbollah of obstructing progress. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate that Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah could reach a peace agreement “tomorrow” if the Iran-backed group were not involved.
Delegations from Israel and Lebanon, which do not maintain diplomatic relations, met at the US State Department as part of a fourth round of talks since the conflict erupted on 2 March.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said progress was continuing on both political and security issues, with negotiations set to continue.
Trump urges restraint
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said he had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch a major strike on Beirut and claimed that Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire.
However, Netanyahu later warned that Israel would target Hezbollah positions in Beirut if attacks on northern Israel continued.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz repeated that warning, stating that strikes on the Lebanese capital would proceed if Hezbollah maintained its attacks and claiming Washington had approved such action.
Casualties mount across Lebanon
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people, including a child, and injured 48 others.
Authorities said a doctor and five employees of the state hospital in Tebnine were among those injured after the facility sustained damage during the strikes.
The Israeli military reportedly targeted around 20 communities during the day, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks against Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon.
Near Sidon, rescue workers recovered the bodies of six members of the same family, including two children and a woman, from a house struck overnight.
Netanyahu vows to continue operations
Netanyahu said Israeli forces would continue operating in southern Lebanon and pledged to “crush” Hezbollah in order to protect northern Israel.
Rubio reiterated that Hezbollah’s military strength depends heavily on Iranian support and stressed that Washington wants negotiations between Israel and Lebanon to remain separate from discussions involving Iran.
Trump also dismissed reports suggesting Tehran had suspended talks with Washington because of the escalation in Lebanon, insisting that discussions with Iran were continuing.
Fears grow in Beirut and Tyre
In Beirut’s southern suburbs, many shops remained closed while drones were seen flying at low altitude over the area.
Later, the Israeli military claimed Hezbollah members were hiding in a Christian neighbourhood of the southern city of Tyre, an area that had largely escaped previous attacks. The statement sparked fears of new evacuation orders and prompted residents to leave.
Lebanese authorities deployed troops to the area, and local officials attempted to reassure residents.
Meanwhile, reports emerged of Israeli troop advances near Debbineh in southeastern Lebanon following days of heavy bombardment.
Ceasefire proposals remain uncertain
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said negotiations remained the least costly option for the country.
According to Lebanon’s embassy in Washington, Hezbollah accepted a US proposal earlier this week under which Israel would refrain from striking Beirut’s southern suburbs in exchange for a halt to attacks against Israel.
The proposal also envisaged an expanded ceasefire covering all Lebanese territory.
However, a senior Hezbollah official told AFP that the group would reject any partial ceasefire arrangement, insisting that only a comprehensive agreement would be acceptable.
The Lebanon conflict began on 2 March when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in response to US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Since then, more than 3,468 people have reportedly been killed in Lebanon and at least one million displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel has reported 27 deaths on its side, including 26 military personnel.
Also read:
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
