Israeli drone strikes kill six in Lebanon despite ongoing ceasefire talks
Attack near Beirut tests fragile US-brokered Israel-Hezbollah agreement
Disputes over Hezbollah disarmament continue to hinder broader peace efforts
Israel Strike Kills 6 Near Beirut Despite Ceasefire Talks Enter Second Day
The strike near Khalde, on the main coastal road several kilometres south of Beirut, wounded two people and came with no warning
Summary
Israeli drone strikes killed at least six people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday and hit a vehicle on a coastal highway just south of Beirut, AP reported. This came even as Lebanese and Israeli representatives sat down for a second consecutive day of US-facilitated talks in Washington aimed at broadening the fragile ceasefire.
The strike near Khalde, on the main coastal road several kilometres south of Beirut, wounded two people and came with no warning. It marked the closest attack to the Lebanese capital since President Donald Trump asked Israel not to target Beirut under a US-brokered agreement announced on Monday — an arrangement under which Israel agreed to hold back from striking Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs, while the Iran-backed group committed to halting cross-border attacks on northern Israel.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli drones struck at least ten vehicles across southern Lebanon. A raid near the coastal city of Tyre killed six people, according to Lebanon's health ministry and state media. The Israeli military separately said it had intercepted a hostile aircraft crossing into northern Israel from Lebanon, which it described as most likely a drone launched by Hezbollah, though the group issued no claim of responsibility.
Talks Proceed
The State Department said progress had been made during Tuesday's first round of talks. Lebanon is seeking to widen the ceasefire into a comprehensive, nationwide arrangement, while Israel is pushing for the immediate disarmament of Hezbollah before it withdraws its troops from the dozens of villages and towns it currently occupies in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese government is participating in the talks despite objections from Hezbollah.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned on Tuesday that Israel would strike Beirut's southern suburbs if northern Israel came under attack — a threat that Iran's military appeared to mirror on Monday, when it warned residents of northern Israel to leave if Israel hit Beirut.
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