Fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah has continued after Israel and Lebanon held direct talks in Washington aimed at easing the conflict. On Wednesday, Israeli strikes hit two vehicles on the coastal highway south of Beirut, near the towns of Saadiyat and Jiyeh and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.
Videos from one scene showed a burned-out van, with first responders working to extinguish the flames and recover human remains. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
In northern Israel, a man was wounded in the town of Tamra after Hezbollah launched about 30 rockets across the border, according to medics and the military. Hezbollah said it had launched rockets at 10 locations in northern Israel.
The Israeli military also said troops were continuing ground operations in southern Lebanon and that more than 200 Hezbollah infrastructure sites, including rocket launchers, had been struck over the past 24 hours. Israel has renewed calls for residents across a large part of southern Lebanon to evacuate amid the ongoing air and artillery bombardment.
Although Israel has avoided striking Beirut itself since its wave of attacks across the country a week ago, which Lebanese authorities say killed more than 350 people in only 10 minutes, it has continued to strike southern and eastern areas.
Israel has announced plans to create what it describes as a security buffer zone extending eight to 10 km (five to six miles) inside Lebanese territory, necessary to protect Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks.
In the early hours of Wednesday, clashes were reported in several Lebanese border towns and villages, including Khiam and Bint Jbeil, with heavy gunfire and explosions heard throughout the night.
The fighting has continued despite a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which Israel has said does not apply to its campaign in Lebanon. On Tuesday, a meeting in Washington brought Lebanese and Israeli representatives together for the first direct high-level contact in three decades between the two countries, which remain formally at war.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who mediated the discussions between Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Moawad, framed them as a pivotal moment. This is a historic opportunity, he said, recalling the decades of history behind the conflict.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed cautious optimism, hoping the negotiations would mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people. However, Hezbollah has strongly rejected the negotiations, with warnings that internal discord could arise over the decision to engage with Israel.
The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon continues to deepen, with Lebanese authorities reporting at least 2,124 people killed and over one million displaced since the resumption of fighting earlier this month.
Videos from one scene showed a burned-out van, with first responders working to extinguish the flames and recover human remains. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
In northern Israel, a man was wounded in the town of Tamra after Hezbollah launched about 30 rockets across the border, according to medics and the military. Hezbollah said it had launched rockets at 10 locations in northern Israel.
The Israeli military also said troops were continuing ground operations in southern Lebanon and that more than 200 Hezbollah infrastructure sites, including rocket launchers, had been struck over the past 24 hours. Israel has renewed calls for residents across a large part of southern Lebanon to evacuate amid the ongoing air and artillery bombardment.
Although Israel has avoided striking Beirut itself since its wave of attacks across the country a week ago, which Lebanese authorities say killed more than 350 people in only 10 minutes, it has continued to strike southern and eastern areas.
Israel has announced plans to create what it describes as a security buffer zone extending eight to 10 km (five to six miles) inside Lebanese territory, necessary to protect Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks.
In the early hours of Wednesday, clashes were reported in several Lebanese border towns and villages, including Khiam and Bint Jbeil, with heavy gunfire and explosions heard throughout the night.
The fighting has continued despite a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, which Israel has said does not apply to its campaign in Lebanon. On Tuesday, a meeting in Washington brought Lebanese and Israeli representatives together for the first direct high-level contact in three decades between the two countries, which remain formally at war.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who mediated the discussions between Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Moawad, framed them as a pivotal moment. This is a historic opportunity, he said, recalling the decades of history behind the conflict.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed cautious optimism, hoping the negotiations would mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people. However, Hezbollah has strongly rejected the negotiations, with warnings that internal discord could arise over the decision to engage with Israel.
The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon continues to deepen, with Lebanese authorities reporting at least 2,124 people killed and over one million displaced since the resumption of fighting earlier this month.
