Israel strikes Lebanon kill three amid Washington talks progress

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have continued despite a ceasefire. Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that three people were killed and one wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a car on the road between the towns of Zawtar and Mayfadoun in Nabatieh province on Thursday. According to the NNA, Israeli forces also set fire to several houses in the town of Ain Arab after issuing an ultimatum demanding residents evacuate the town by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, since the conflict began on March 2, 4,230 people have been killed and 12,179 wounded. Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr, reporting from Nabatieh, assessed that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah remains 'fragile,' as the Israeli military continues to target 'anyone or anything in the frontline villages.' These villages lie on the outskirts of Nabatieh city, along the area occupied by Israel.

Khodr explained: 'The message is that they don't want people to get close to that area. There have been drone attacks, dropping stun grenades... People are being killed. Those villages, the Israeli army was not able to occupy them during weeks of fighting and still wants to control them by fire, because the more territory you control, the more leverage you have in the negotiations.'

Meanwhile, ceasefire negotiations in Washington concluded on Thursday after three days of discussions between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials, focusing on Israel handing over some territory it occupied during fighting with Hezbollah to the Lebanese army. A US State Department official said Israel took a 'concrete step' by withdrawing from part of the buffer zone in southern Lebanon. However, a senior Israeli defense official denied any withdrawal, adding that Israel would not leave its buffer zone. A Lebanese army official also told Reuters that recent developments on the ground showed 'the opposite of withdrawal.'

Despite these contradictions on the ground, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel and Lebanon are making good progress toward a 'commitment of intent.' During a visit to Bahrain, Rubio stated: 'I think we are very close to hopefully having a commitment of intent between the two countries. It will be a process, it will take time, it will require a lot of work, but I can say that for the first time in 30 years, the sovereign government of Lebanon is speaking directly with the government of Israel.' Under US pressure, Lebanese officials began direct negotiations with Israel in Washington in April. However, Hezbollah has criticized the talks, demanding that Israel fully withdraw its forces from Lebanon first.