Lebanon
Israeli drone strikes on Wednesday hit multiple vehicles along a main highway south of Beirut, killing eight people — including a woman and her two children — according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, in one of the deadliest escalations since the ceasefire took effect.
Lebanese authorities said three vehicles were struck on the busy road linking Beirut to the southern port city of Sidon.
A fourth strike later hit the northern entrance of Sidon, state media reported.
The Health Ministry confirmed the attacks but did not specify how many people were in each vehicle.
The state-run National News Agency said one of the strikes targeted the town of Saadiyat, near the coastal freeway.
Israel’s military said it had targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of southern Lebanon, hours after ordering residents of six villages to evacuate.
Deadly toll continues to rise
Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Tuesday that 380 people have been killed and 1,122 wounded since the ceasefire began.
That brings the total number of casualties since the war erupted to 2,882 killed and 8,786 wounded.
The latest strikes add to a growing sense of fragility along the border, where exchanges of fire have persisted despite diplomatic efforts to stabilize the situation.
Talks in Washington amid ongoing violence
Lebanon and Israel are set to hold another round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday, part of a U.S.-led push to ease tensions between the two countries, which remain technically at war since Israel’s creation in 1948.
The discussions come as the Trump administration seeks a breakthrough on border arrangements and security guarantees.
The renewed violence threatens to overshadow the negotiations, raising questions about whether diplomatic momentum can be sustained.
Regional tensions remain high
The strikes underscore the volatility of the Lebanon–Israel frontier, where Hezbollah — designated a terrorist organization by several governments and responsible for significant violence and human rights abuses — maintains a strong presence.
Israel says its operations target militant infrastructure, while Lebanese officials warn that civilian casualties risk widening the conflict.
As Washington prepares to host the next round of talks, both sides face mounting pressure to prevent further escalation.
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