Israeli intensified air strikes across southern Lebanon, targeting multiple towns in the Nabatieh, Tyre, and Bint Jbeil districts, according to official media reports on Friday.
The attacks come despite a third round of US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon that wrapped up on Thursday after a full day of negotiations at the State Department. The talks are set to continue on Friday, a senior State Department official told Anadolu. Two rounds were held on April 14 and 23 as a prelude to peace negotiations.
On Friday, Israeli fighter jets struck the town of Froun in the Bint Jbeil district, while artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Qlaileh and Borj Qlaouiyeh before dawn, Lebanon’s official news agency NNA said.
An Israeli drone also carried out a morning strike on an open area in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while Israeli aircraft launched another raid on the town of Qsaybeh around 6:30 am local time (0330 GMT).
Separately, the agency reported that Israeli reconnaissance drones were flying over Beirut and its suburbs.
During the night, Israeli aircraft carried out a series of strikes on the Marj al-Safa area in Choukine and on Nabatieh al-Fawqa, destroying an entire neighbourhood that included the Nabatieh al-Fawqa municipality building and several residential structures.
The raids coincided with heavy artillery shelling targeting the surroundings of an orphanage in Meifadoun and the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
Israeli forces also opened heavy machine-gun fire at Wadi al-Hujair and the vicinity of the towns of Froun and Ghandooriyeh, the report said.
In the Tyre district, a drone strike overnight targeted a residential apartment in Housh Tyre, setting it ablaze and causing injuries.
Israeli fighter jets also launched nighttime strikes on the towns of Qana and Qleileh, the area between Sultaniyeh and Tebnine, as well as Shhour and Dbaal.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,896 people, injured over 8,824, and displaced more than 1.6 million, about one-fifth of the country’s population, according to Lebanese officials.
The Israeli army continues daily strikes in Lebanon despite a ceasefire that was announced on April 17 and later extended until May 17.
