Israeli strike kills seven in south Lebanon, Lebanese health ministry says

While Israel and ⁠Hezbollah ​wage war, the United States has hosted two rounds of talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington, the ⁠highest-level contacts between Lebanese and Israeli government representatives in decades. A U.S. ⁠State Department ⁠official said representatives of Israel and Lebanon would hold a third round of talks in Washington on ‌Thursday ‌and Friday.

An Israeli strike ​on the southern Lebanese town ​of Saksakiyeh killed at ‌least ​seven people, including a child, and wounded 15 on Saturday, Lebanon's health ministry said. The Israeli ‌military said it had struck Hezbollah militants in the town, accusing them of planning attacks against Israeli soldiers.

"The IDF is aware of ‌reports regarding harm to uninvolved civilians in the structure in ‌which the terrorists were struck. The details of the incident are under review," the military said in a statement. Israel and armed group Hezbollah have continued ⁠to ​exchange fire in ⁠southern Lebanon, where Israel has carved out a self-declared security zone, despite a ⁠U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16.

Israel also said it killed the ​commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force on Wednesday in its first ⁠strike on Beirut's southern suburbs since the ceasefire was declared. While Israel and ⁠Hezbollah ​wage war, the United States has hosted two rounds of talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington, the ⁠highest-level contacts between Lebanese and Israeli government representatives in decades.

A U.S. ⁠State Department ⁠official said representatives of Israel and Lebanon would hold a third round of talks in Washington on ‌Thursday ‌and Friday.