Beirut, Lebanon. An Israeli strike killed two people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s state news agency, as Hezbollah said it launched an attack drone at Israeli forces in the south amid a fragile ceasefire.
Strike and drone incident reported
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the Israeli strike hit a car in al-Tiri, a village in south Lebanon, killing two people inside. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hezbollah said it attacked an Israeli artillery position in southern Lebanon with a drone, describing the action as a response to what it said was an Israeli violation of the ceasefire. The Israeli military said it intercepted “a hostile aircraft” launched by Hezbollah towards Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon.
Ceasefire extension sought ahead of Washington talks
On the eve of talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10-day, U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday.
Aoun said Beirut’s envoy to Thursday’s talks, Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Nada Moawad, would seek a ceasefire extension and a halt to demolitions being carried out by Israel in villages in the south, according to a statement.
Conflict timeline and diplomatic tracks
Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2, when the Lebanese group opened fire in support of Iran.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon emerged separately from Washington’s efforts to resolve its conflict with Tehran, though Iran had called for Lebanon to be included in any broader truce. The United States has denied any link between the tracks.
Casualties and border developments
More than 2,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel launched an offensive in response to Hezbollah’s March 2 attack, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel has seized a belt of territory at the border where its troops remain, saying it aims to create a buffer zone to shield northern Israel from attacks by Hezbollah, which fired hundreds of rockets at Israel during the conflict.
Lebanon’s next-phase aims
A Lebanese official said Beirut wants a ceasefire extension as a prerequisite for talks to expand beyond the ambassadorial level to the next phase, in which Lebanon would push for an Israeli withdrawal, the return of Lebanese detained in Israel and a delineation of the land border.
What outcome do you expect from the Washington talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors?
